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Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2016  with  funding  from 

This  project  is  made  possible  by  a grant  from  the  Institute  of  Museum  and  Library  Services  as  administered  by  the  Pennsylvania  Department  of  Education  through  the  Office  of  Commonwealth  Libraries 


https://archive.org/details/indianpathsofpenOOwall 


Indian  Paths 


of  Pennsylvania 


BY 

Paul  A.  W.  Wallace 


Commonwealth  of  Pennsylvania 

THE  PENNSYLVANIA  HISTORICAL  AND  MUSEUM 

COMMISSION 

Harrisburg,  1965 


T H E P E N N S Y L V A N I A HISTORICAL 
AND  MUSEUM  COMMISSION 


(amis  B.  Stf.vf.nson,  Chairman 

Herman  Blum  Mrs.  Henry  P.  Hoffstot,  Jr. 

Edwin  B.  Coddington  Maurice  A.  Moor 

Ralph  Hazeltine  Charles  G.  Webb 

Mrs.  Ferne  Smith  Hetrick  Thomas  Elliott  Wynne 

John  Ralph  Rackley,  ex  officio 
Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction 


Members  from  the  General  Assembly 
James  Kepi  er  Davis,  Representative  J.  Dean  Polen,  Representative 
Paul  W.  Mahady,  Senator  John  H.  Ware,  III,  Senator 


Trustees  Ex  Officio 

William  W.  Scranton,  Governor  of  the  Commonwealth 
Grace  M.  Sloan,  Auditor  General 
Thomas  Z.  Minehart,  State  Treasurer 


Administative  Staff 
Sylvester  K.  Stevens,  Executive  Director 
William  J.  Wewer,  Executive  Assistant 

William  N.  Richards,  Director 
Bureau  of  Museums,  Historic  Sites,  and  Properties 

Donald  H.  Kent,  Director 
Bureau  of  Research,  Publications,  and  Records 


Acknowledgments 


Though  the  author  of  this  book  has  traveled  many  thousands  of  miles,  first 
and  last,  on  his  own  researches,  he  acknowledges  a profound  debt  to  such  persons 
as  the  late  William  J.  Laughner  who  have  helped  him  trace  Pennsylvania’s  In- 
dian paths. 

It  would  be  invidious  to  name  a few  and  impossible  to  name  all  those— young 
and  old,  Indian  and  white;  in  Pennsylvania,  New  York,  Ohio,  Virginia,  West 
Virginia,  Maryland,  North  Carolina,  and  Tennessee— who  during  the  past  sixteen 
years  have  in  one  way  or  another  guided  the  writer's  steps.  Whether  on  the  coun- 
tryside, in  the  library,  through  the  mails,  at  the  Bureau  of  Land  Records,  or  in 
the  offices  of  the  Pennsylvania  Historical  and  Museum  Commission,  their  hos- 
pitality has  always  been  of  the  Indian  kind,  instant  and  ungrudging. 

To  all  these  the  writer  extends  his  warmest  thanks.  May  their  moccasins  always 
be  dry,  their  path  free  from  logs  and  briars,  and  may  the  sun  shine  long  in  their 
lodges. 

In  turning  these  labors  into  book  form,  the  writer  is  particularly  indebted  to 
the  members  of  the  Pennsylvania  Historical  and  Museum  Commission  who 
authorized  the  publication,  and  to  the  Executive  Director,  Dr.  S.  K.  Stevens,  who 
initiated  the  study  and  gave  it  the  encouragement  without  which  its  completion 
would  have  been  impossible.  To  Mr.  Donald  H.  Kent,  Director  of  the  Bureau 
of  Research,  Publications,  and  Records,  to  Mr.  William  A.  Hunter,  Chief  of  the 
Division  of  Research  and  Publications,  and  to  Mr.  Harold  L.  Myers,  Associate 
Historian,  special  thanks  are  due  for  the  final  editing  of  the  manuscript  and  its 
metamorphosis  into  a printed  book.  Mrs.  Gail  M.  Gibson,  Assistant  Historian, 
had  the  arduous  task  of  preparing  the  index. 


Harrisburg,  July  21,  1965 


Paul  A.  W.  Wallace 


Contents 


Page 

1.  Acknowledgments  iii 

II.  Introduction  1 

III.  Indian  Paths  17 

1.  Allegheny  Path  19 

Armstrong  Path  21 

2.  Bald  Eagle  Creek  Path  22 

3.  Bald  Eagle’s  Path  23 

4.  Blue  Rock  Path  24 

5.  Bottom  Path  25 

6.  Brokenstraw  Path  25 

Bullock  Path  26 

Bverly’s  Path  26 

7.  Catawba  Path  27 

8.  Catawissa  Path  31 

9.  Catfish  Path  32 

10.  Cattaraugus  Path  33 

11.  Cayahaga  Path  33 

12.  Chillisquaque  Path  34 

13.  Conemaugh  Path  35 

Conestoga  Path  36 

14.  Conestoga-Newport  Path  36 

15.  Conewago  Path  36 

16.  Conneaut  Path  37 

17.  Conoy  Path  38 

18.  Cornplanter’s  Path  39 

19.  Cornplanter-Venango  Path  41 

20.  Culbertson’s  Path  42 

Cumberland  Path,  Cumberland  Road  42 

21.  Cussewago  Path  43 

David’s  Path  43 

22.  Delaware  River  Path  44 

Dunlap’s  Path  45 

23.  Falls  Path  45 

24.  Forbidden  Path  46 

25.  Fort  Hill  Path  49 

26.  Frankstown  Path  49 

27.  Frankstown-Burnt  Cabins  Path  55 

28.  Frankstown  A'enango  Path  56 

29.  French  Creek  Path  57 

30.  Georgetown  Road 57 

31.  Glades  Path  59 

32.  Goschgoschink  Path  61 

33.  Great  Path  62 


v 


Page 

34.  Great  Island  Path  63 

35.  Great  Minquas  Path  64 

36.  Great  Shamokin  Path  66 

37.  Great  Warriors  Path  72 

38.  Hays  Mill  Path  74 

39.  Horseheads  Path  75 

40.  Ichsua  Path  76 

41.  Juniata  Path  77 

42.  Kersey  Road  78 

43.  Kishacoquillas  Path  78 

44.  Kiskiminetas  Path  79 

Kittanning  Path  79 

45.  Kuskusky-Char tier’s  Town  Path  81 

46.  Kuskusky-Cussewago  Path  81 

47.  Kuskusky-Kittanning  Path  82 

48.  Kuskusky-Ohio  Forks  Path  82 

49.  Kuskusky-Venango  Path  83 

50.  Lackawanna  Path  83 

51.  Lackawaxen  Path 84 

52.  Lake  Shore  Path  85 

53.  Lehigh  Path  88 

54.  Lenni  Lenape  Path  (The  Old  York  Road)  90 

55.  Logan’s  Path  91 

56.  Logstown  Path  93 

57.  Loyalhanna  Path  94 

58.  Loyalhanna-Goschgoschink  Path  94 

59.  Loyalsock  Path  95 

Lycoming  Path  95 

McKee’s  Path  95 

60.  Mahanoy  Path  96 

61.  Mahoning  Path  96 

62.  Masthope  Path  97 

63.  Maxatawny  Path 98 

Mead’s  Path  99 

Mcniolagomeka  Path  99 

64.  Mingo  Path  100 

65.  Minisink  Path  101 

66.  Minsi  Path  102 

67.  Monocacy  Path  105 

68.  Morrison  Cove  Path  106 

69.  Muncy-Mahoning  Path  106 

70.  Nanticoke  Path  107 

71.  Nemacolin's  Path  (The  Braddock  Road)  109 

72.  Nescopeck  Path  113 

73.  New  Path  115 

74.  New  Castle  Path  116 

75.  Nippenose  Paths  116 

76.  Ohio  Path  116 

77.  Oil  Creek  Path  117 

78.  Okehocking  Path  117 

79.  Old  Peter’s  Road  118 


vt 


Page 

80.  Old  Swedes  Path  120 

81.  Oley  Path  121 

82.  Oswayo  Path  121 

The  Painted  Line 122 

83.  Paxtang  Path  122 

84.  Peach  Bottom  Path  123 

85.  Pechoquealin  Path  124 

86.  Peholand’s  Path  125 

87.  Penns  Creek  Path  126 

88.  Perkiomen  Path  127 

89.  Perkiomen  Lehigh  Path  128 

90.  Pigeon  Paths  129 

91.  Pine  Creek  Path  130 

92.  Pohopoco  Path  132 

93.  Point  Pleasant  Path  133 

94.  Portage  Paths  135 

A.  Allegheny  Portage:  Big  Portage  Path  135 

B.  Allegheny  Portage:  Little  Portage  Path  136 

C.  Chautauqua  Portage  136 

D.  Cherry  Tree  Portage  137 

E.  Conestoga  Portage  138 

F.  Conococheague  Portage  139 

G.  Great  Bend  Portage  139 

H.  Presque  Isle  Portage  140 

I.  Tioga  Portage  141 

95.  Punxsutawney-Venango  Path  141 

96.  Raystown  Path  142 

97.  Raystown-Chinklacamoose  Path  147 

98.  Red  Hole  Path  148 

99.  Redstone  Path  148 

100.  St.  Joseph’s  Path  149 

101.  Salt  Lick  Path  150 

102.  Sewickley  Old  Town  Path  151 

103.  Sheshequin  Path  152 

104.  Sinnemahoning  Path  155 

105.  Standing  Stone  Path  156 

106.  Standing  Stone-Fort  Littleton  Path  156 

107.  Sullivan’s  Road  157 

108.  Susquehanna  Path  158 

109.  Three  Springs  Path  159 

110.  Tioga  Path  159 

111.  Tory  Path  160 

112.  Towanda  Path  (The  Genesee  Road)  160 

113.  Tulpehocken  Path  162 

114.  Tunkhannock  Path  164 

115.  Turkeyfoot  Path  165 

116.  Tuscarora  Path  168 

117.  Venango  Path  170 

118.  Venango-Chinklacamoose  Path  174 

119.  Venango-Conewango  Path  175 

120.  Venango-Kittanning  Path  176 

vii 


Page 

121.  Virginia  Path  177 

122.  Walnut  Bottom  Path  178 

1 23.  Wapwallopen  Path  178 

121.  Warm  Spring  Path  179 

125.  Warriors  Paths  to  the  Potomac  180 

A.  Through  Bloody  Run  181 

B.  Through  Manns  Choice  182 

C.  Through  Raystown  184 

126.  Warriors  Branch  184 

127.  Warriors  Mark  Path  186 

128.  Weehquetank  Path  187 

129.  Wyalusing  Path  188 

130.  Wyoming  Paths  191 

131.  Wysaukin  Path  192 

IV.  Appendices  193 

1.  The  Kittanning  Path  194 

2.  Hart’s  Sleeping  Place  195 

3.  I he  Two  Licks  196 

I.  The  Forbes  Road  198 

5.  George  Washington’s  Path  to  Fort  LcBoeuf,  1753  200 

V.  Bibliographical  Note  213 

VI.  Indices  215 

Index  of  Names  217 

List  of  Paths  by  County  227 


viii 


Introduction 


THAT  the  road  “controls  all  history,”  as 
Hilaire  Belloc  wrote  in  1924, 1 was  as  true 
of  Indian  paths  of  the  eighteenth  century 
as  it  is  today  of  our  transcontinental  railroads 
and  airways. 

A further  truth  expressed  by  that  author  and 
fully  exemplified  in  Pennsylvania,  is  that  the 
road  “controls  the  development  of  strategics  and 
fixes  the  site  of  battles.”  Nemacolin’s  Path  and 
the  Raystown  Path  set  the  course  of  Pennsyl- 
vania’s military  history  under  Braddock,  Forbes, 
and  Bouquet.  The  Iroquois  Path  known  as 
“the  Ambassadors  Road”  (through  upstate  New 
York)  held  the  Five  Nations— the  Iroquois  Con- 
federacy-together, while  their  “warriors  paths” 
extended  the  pax  Iroquoia  through  Pennsyl- 
vania into  territories  far  beyond. 

Indian  paths  were  channels  of  trade  and  cul- 
tural diffusion.  They  explain  the  presence  in 
Canada  of  shells  from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,2  and 
in  New  England  of  stone  implements  from  the 
Jasper  Quarries  near  Macungie,  Pennsylvania.3 

Yet,  despite  their  undoubted  historical  im- 
portance, it  is  difficult  to  study  and  write  about 
Indian  paths  today,  since  they  have  left  few 
visible  remains  to  catch  the  eye  and  submit  to 
measurement  and  appraisal. 

The  Indians  of  Pennsylvania  have  left  no 
monuments  in  stone  like  the  palaces  and  temples 
of  the  Mayas  and  Aztecs,  which  today  make  their 
ruined  cities  look  amazing  even  in  an  age  of 
engineering  marvels.  Our  northern  Indians  con- 
structed no  mountain-piercing  aqueducts.  They 
built  no  roads  like  those  of  the  Incas,  whose  wide 
stone  highways  spanned  gorges  with  suspension 
bridges,  traversed  high  mountains,  and  ran 
through  galleries  cut  out  of  solid  rock  to  fend  off 
avalanches.  An  authoritarian  government  could 
do  things  on  a gigantic  scale  because  it  could 
commandeer  the  labor  of  the  masses.  But  such 
autocratic  methods  were  unthinkable  to  the  In- 
dians in  this  part  of  the  Western  World. 

The  Lenni  Lenape  or  Delawares,  who  were 
the  most  populous  nation  of  Indians  in  Penn’s 


Woods,  were  a fiercely  independent  people. 
They  had  little  national  cohesion  and  no  con- 
ception at  all  of  labor  organized  on  the  scale 
necessary  for  the  construction  of  public  works 
of  any  size.  Their  society  was  “atomistic,”4 
broken  up  into  many  small,  autonomous  com- 
munities, each  family  possessing  its  own  fields 
and  its  own  hunting  territory— this  latter  a tract 
of  land,  it  might  be,  extending  as  far  back  into 
the  woods  “as  one  walks  in  a day  and  a half.” 
The  Five  Nations  or  Iroquois  of  New  York  State, 
who  by  the  end  of  the  seventeenth  century  were 
recognized  to  have  authority  of  a kind  over  the 
Indians  in  Pennsylvania,  possessed  greater  po- 
litical unity  and  had  leaders  of  high  caliber,  but 
their  numbers  were  too  small— twelve  or  fifteen 
thousand  men,  women,  and  children— 5 to  permit 
anything  like  the  material  achievements  of  the 
Mayas,  Incas,  or  Aztecs. 

The  genius  of  the  Five  Nations  was  shown  in 
their  political  concepts.  Their  so-called  “empire” 
was  no  tyranny.  They  exercised  authority  over 
their  wards  with  tolerance  and  restraint.  While 
they  denied  their  “nephews’  ” right  to  declare  war 
independently,  they  allowed  them  home  rule  and 
full  freedom  to  enjoy  their  own  language,  re- 
ligion, and  whatever  else  contributed  to  their 
distinctive  way  of  life.  The  Five  Nations  had 
no  thought  of  drafting  the  manpower  of  subject 
peoples  to  produce  monuments  for  future  ages  to 
marvel  at.  There  were,  in  consequence,  no  roads 
in  their  territory  comparable  to  those  which 
bound  Cuzco,  the  Inca  capital,  to  its  outlying 
provinces. 

Yet  it  is  unfair  to  Pennsylvania’s  Indians  and 
false  to  history  to  belittle  their  achievements  as 
road  makers.  To  compare  their  highways  with 
those  of  the  Incas,  whose  population  was  meas- 
ured in  millions,  or  with  our  modern  superhigh- 
ways, is  pointless.  It  would  be  more  profitable 
to  compare  Pennsylvania’s  Indian  paths  of  three 
or  four  hundred  years  ago  with  European  roads 
of  the  same  time.  The  difference  would  not  be 
found  excessive.  Scotland,  in  the  time  of  John 
Knox  and  Mary  Queen  of  Scots,  had  no  carriages 
and  very  few  carts.  Most  of  the  roads  were  no 


1 


9 


more  than  cattle  paths.  Travel  was  on  horse- 
back, in  horse-litters,  or  afoot.  From  this  com- 
parison it  may  be  seen  that  the  footpaths  of 
Pennsylvania’s  early  Indians,  who  lacked  the 
horse  or  any  other  draft  animal  (the  llama  not 
being  found  so  far  north  as  this)  , were  as  well 
adapted  to  the  needs  of  the  people  they  served 
as  were  the  roads  of  Mary  Queen  of  Scots  when 
she  made  a "progress.” 

Our  Indian  highways  were  good  of  their  kind, 
good  for  the  uses  to  which  they  were  put  and 
for  which  they  were  intended:  the  moving  about 
of  moccasined  men  and  women.  That  they  were 
well  laid  out  is  attested  by  the  fact  that,  even  in 
the  broken  mountain  country  of  this  Common- 
wealth, where  the  road  problem  is  complicated 
by  countless  springs  from  the  hills,  the  Indian 
paths  served  the  white  man’s  needs  for  a hun- 
dred or  more  years  after  his  arrival— and,  indeed, 
in  some  places  are  still  serving  them. 

It  is  worth  remembering  that  most  of  Penn- 
sylvania’s early  travel  was  by  land,  not  water. 
Her  rivers,  breaking  through  their  mountain 
"gaps,”  are  glorious;  but  they  have  always  been 
—from  the  day  of  the  Indian  canoe  to  that  of  the 
steamship  Susquehanna  and  Baltimore , which 
blew  up  in  the  Xescopeck  Rapids—0  a disappoint- 
ment to  travelers.  For  one  thing,  the  eastern 
rivers,  Delaware  and  Susquehanna,  were  shallow 
and  swift,  dangerous  to  descend  and  difficult  to 
ascend.  For  another,  none  of  her  rivers  broke 
through  the  Allegheny  Mountains,  which  inter- 
posed a barrier  between  east  and  west. 

Still  more  important,  the  canoe  birch  did  not 
grow  in  Pennsylvania,  and  the  dugout  (no  mat- 
ter what  it  was  made  of,  poplar,  tulip  tree,  syca- 
more, or  walnut)  was  heavy  and  clumsy.  Even 
the  elmbark  canoe,  which  was  much  used  in 
Pennsylvania,  was  awkward  in  the  water  and 
deadweight  on  the  portage. 

Fortunately  Pennsylvania  was  blessed  with  a 
climate  that  encouraged  travel  in  the  woods. 
The  rainfall  was  moderate  and  in  most  places 
the  underbrush  was  light.  The  Rev.  David  Mc- 
Clure in  his  diary  for  September  7,  1772,  describ- 
ing the  path  from  the  Mingo  Town  (Rochester, 
Pennsylvania)  at  the  mouth  of  the  Beaver  Rivet 
to  Kuskuskies  (New  Castle)  at  its  head,  observed: 
"for  a wilderness  the  traveling  was  pleasant  as 
there  was  no  underbrush  and  the  trees  do  not 
grow  very  closely  together."7 


Johann  D.  Schoepf  in  his  Journey'  Through 
Some  of  the  Middle  and  Southern  United  States 
of  Xorth  America  (Erlangen,  1788)  made  the 
same  observation:  "The  woods  are  for  the  most 
part  entirely  free  from  undergrowth  which  is 
very  convenient  for  both  the  hunter  and  the 
traveler.”8 

The  evolution  of  the  Indian  trail  into  the 
bridle  path,  wagon  road,  and  motor  highway  has 
been  a slow,  continuous  process,  which  began 
early.  General  John  Forbes  in  a letter  to  William 
Pitt  of  July  10,  1758,  acknowledged  indebted- 
ness to  the  Indians  “who,”  he  said,  "have  foot 
paths  . . . through  these  desearts,  by  the  help  of 
which  we  make  our  roads.”9 

Most  Indian  paths  were  so  well  planned  that, 
until  the  invention  of  the  internal  combustion 
engine,  there  was  little  occasion  for  any  but 
minor  changes  in  the  route.  Today  the  discom- 
fort caused  by  driving  over  frost-broken  roads 
which  had  diverged  from  the  Indian’s  dry  ridge 
routes,  is  a reminder  of  how  good  a road  engineer 
the  Indian  was.  Motorists  using  the  Horseshoe 
Pike  know  what  the  South  Mountain  springs, 
freezing  in  January  and  thawing  in  February  or 
March,  can  do  to  the  subsoil.  Undoubtedly  the 
Pike  was  a convenience  to  settlers  in  the  Swatara 
region  behind  Paxtang,  but  for  grade  and  drain- 
age it  was  not  to  be  compared  with  Peter  Bczail- 
lon's  bridle  path,  which  ran  without  a serious 
obstacle  from  Downingtown  to  Bainbridge  on 
the  Susquehanna.  Old  Peter’s  Road,  as  it  was 
called,  was  dry,  level,  and  direct. 

Those  words,  dry.  level.  and  direct,  give  the 
key  to  Indian  path  making.  Indian  paths  were 
dry,  for  the  most  part  because  they  followed 
rivei  terraces  above  flood  level,  or  because  they 
followed— especially  in  the  soft-coal  country— 
well-drained  ridges.  It  must  be  understood,  how- 
ever, that  these  ridges  were  not  usually  mountain 
spines  like  the  Kittatinny  or  Blue  Mountain 
where  the  Appalachian  Trail  (a  white  man’s 
imitation)  takes  its  way.  On  the  contrary,  they 
were  more  olten  modest  elevations  in  the  midst 
of  wide  valleys  overlooked  by  the  mountains. 
These  “valley  ridges,”  as  they  might  be  called, 
are  often  followed  today  by  modern  roads:  as, 
for  instance,  Pennsylvania  Highivay  25  in  the 
Lvkens  Valley  between  Hegins  and  Sacramento, 
flanked  by  the  Broad  and  Mahantango  moun- 


3 


tains;  Pa.  23  in  the  Conestoga  Valley  between 
Churchtown  and  Morgantown,  flanked  by  the 
Welsh  Mountains  and  Turkey  Hill;  and  U.  S. 
422  (the  Benjamin  Franklin  Highway)  in  Leba- 
non Valley  between  Lebanon  and  Hummels- 
town,  as  also  on  the  Chambers  Hill  Road 
between  Hummelstown  and  Harrisburg.  In 
Western  Pennsylvania,  where  much  of  the  coun- 
try is  cut  up  into  a jumble  of  hills  and  glens, 
the  Indian  paths  followed  the  highest  ridges  be- 
cause they  alone  offered  a level  course.  Such 
were  the  Big  Level  in  McKean  and  Elk  counties, 
and  the  ridge  followed  by  the  Great  Warriors 
Path  between  Brant  Summit  and  Nettle  Hill  in 
Greene  County. 

It  was  not  everywhere  possible  for  the  traveler 
to  keep  his  moccasins  dry.  Rivers  and  creeks 
had  to  be  forded.  Here  and  there  were  marshy 
places,  as  at  Edmund’s  Swamp  on  the  Raystown 
Path  in  Somerset  County  and  on  the  Venango 
Path  in  Crawford  and  Erie  counties.  In  spring 
time,  with  the  frost  coming  out  of  the  ground, 
the  trails  were  all  soggy.  Conrad  Weiser  warned 
against  travel  in  the  spring  before  the  ground 
was  dry  and  the  rivulets  were  shallow. 

Here  a word  of  caution  is  needed.  Old  jour- 
nals refer  so  frequently  to  swamps  that  one  is 
tempted  to  picture  Pennsylvania  in  its  primitive 
state  as  a low,  spongy  desert.  Nothing  could  be 
further  from  the  fact.  The  “Great  Swamp”  to 
which  John  Ettwein  refers  in  his  journal  of 

1772. 10  comprised  the  greater  part  of  Sullivan 
County’s  mountains.  The  English  word  swamp , 
as  used  by  our  travelers,  like  the  German  word 
Schwaynm,  did  not  necessarily  indicate  the  stag- 
nant waters  which  the  word  today  calls  to  mind. 
The  old  swamplands  were  often  fat  and  produc- 
tive like  “the  very  rich  Bottoms,  commonly  called 
Swamps”  mentioned  in  Hutchins’  journal  of 

1760. 11  Sometimes  they  were  mountain  lands— 
on  the  Pocono  plateau,  for  example— where  the 
ground  was  saturated  with  subsurface  water,  and 
so  heavily  overgrown  with  laurel,  hemlock,  and 
white  pine  that  it  was  the  blackness  above  rather 
than  the  moisture  below  that  troubled  the  trav- 
eler. Such  places  were  often  called  the  “Shades 
of  Death.”  That  name  is  found  on  a tract  twenty 
miles  long  on  the  Pechoquealin  Path  to  Wyo- 
ming in  Monroe  County  and  another  on  the 
Frankstown  Path  at  Shade  Gap.  Edmund’s 
Swamp  was  on  the  headwaters  of  what  is  still 


called  Shade  Creek.  Bishop  John  Ettwein,  lead- 
ing a party  of  Moravian  Indians  from  Wyalus- 
ing  west  over  the  mountains  of  Bradford  and 
Sullivan  counties  in  1772,  described  “the  Great 
Swamp,  where  the  undergrowth  was  so  dense 
that  ofttimes  it  was  impossible  to  see  one  an- 
other at  the  distance  of  six  feet.”12 

There  were,  it  must  be  said,  some  swamps 
watery  enough  to  satisfy  the  worst  connotations 
of  the  word.  On  the  Venango  Path  in  1800,  John 
Heckewelder  and  his  party  found  plenty  of 
trouble  in  the  swamp  northeast  of  Meadville. 
“.  . . we  got  into  a beech  swamp,”  he  wrote, 
“where  not  only  was  there  a deep  marsh  but  the 
many  roots  of  these  trees,  roots  which,  as  is  well 
known,  lie  for  the  most  part  on  or  above  the 
ground,  made  it  dangerous  for  the  horses,  which 
often  got  a leg  stuck.”13 

Windfall  could  be  the  worst  of  the  traveler’s 
worries.  It  is  reported  that  the  horses  during  a 
bad  storm,  when  they  heard  the  thunder  of  fall- 
ing green-tops,  stood  stock  still  and  would  not 
budge  until  the  wind  had  gone  down.  The 
wreckage  left  by  such  a storm  might  remain  a 
hazard  to  travelers  for  years  afterwards.  John 
Sharpless,  a Quaker,  on  his  way  from  Warren 
to  Cornplanter's  Town,  noted  in  his  journal 
for  September  17,  1798,  that  “There  was  great 
abundance  of  windfall  timber  to  cross,  we 
thought  on  an  average,  one  or  more  for  every 
two  perch.  Some  we  could  get  around,  and 
others  we  Jumped  our  horses  over.”14 

The  Battle  of  Fallen  Timbers  was  named  for 
the  wreckage  left  by  just  such  a storm.  Bishop 
Ettwein  on  the  famous  Hegira  of  1772  from 
Wyalusing  to  Friedensstadt,  City  of  Peace,  on 
the  Beaver  River,  approached  the  Allegheny  in 
the  wake  of  a similar  storm.  “We  travelled  over 
plains  and  highlands  where  the  wind  and  fires 
had  wrecked  all  the  timber  confusedly  together, 
so  that  our  progress  was  a difficult  thing.”15 

It  was  in  this  same  place  that  Johannes  Roth, 
Bishop  Ettwein’s  companion,  confided  to  his 
diary  that  the  windfall  was  so  bad  that  if  you 
fell  over  one  log  you  cracked  your  nose  on  the 
next  one.16  The  traditional  Indian  greeting  ex- 
tended to  travelers,  as  reported  by  John  Hecke- 
welder, was  metaphorically  (with  a string  of 
wampum)  to  draw  “the  thorns  and  briars  out  of 
their  legs  and  feet,”  and  to  heal  “the  sores  and 


4 


bruises  they  had  received  by  hitting  against 
logs.  . . .”17 

How  Pennsylvania's  Indian  paths  managed  so 
well  to  “keep  their  level”  among  the  mountains 
is  an  engineering  curiosity.  They  seized  every' 
advantage  offered  by  the  terrain.  Some  moun- 
tains, ol  course,  could  not  be  avoided  and  had  to 
be  climbed,  especially  those  on  the  east-west 
paths  which  met  the  worst  ridges  of  the  Alle- 
gheny divide  head-on.  Some  of  these  "Endless 
Mountains,”  as  the  Indians  called  the  Alle- 
ghenies, were  circled  around,  the  ridges  being 
not  actually  interminable.  River  gorges  cutting 
Pennsylvania’s  mountains  transversely  — best 
known  of  which  was  the  Delaware  Water  Gap— 
gave  easy  passage  at  water  level  through  certain 
ot  the  ridges.  At  the  Double  Eagle  (Klingers- 
town)  in  Schuylkill  Gounty,  the  Tulpehocken 
Path  took  advantage  of  the  cut  made  by  Pine 
Greek  through  Mahantango  Mountain. 

I here  were  also  “dry  gaps”  (mountain  passes 
such  as  the  Wind  Gap  north  of  Bethlehem  and 
Cowan  Gap  north  of  Fort  London)  which, 
though  higher  than  the  water  gaps,  helped  the 
trails  tf)  keep  their  level.  Cowan  Gap,  on  the 
Raystown  Path  between  Fort  Loudon  and  Burnt 
Cabins,  is  nearly  nine  hundred  feet  lower  than 
Tuscarora  Summit,  where  the  Lincoln  High- 
way, U.  S.  30,  goes  over  to  McConnellsburg. 

I he  I ulpchocken  Path,  which  ran  from  Sha- 
mokin  (Sunbury)  to  Weiser’s  (Womelsdorf)  , 
was  confronted  by  no  less  than  six  major  moun- 
tain ridges,  but  it  climbed  only  two  of  them,  the 
Kittatinny  (Blue  Mountain)  and  the  Broad 
Mountain.  I he  others— Second,  Mahantango, 
Hooflandcr,  and  Mahanov — it  cut  through  or 
circumvented  with  the  aid  of  creek  or  river. 

Some  paths  climbed  boldly  to  enable  war 
parties  to  achieve  surprise  or  shake  off  pursuit. 
Logans  Path  (from  Lock  Haven  to  Lew  is  town)  , 
though  innocent  enough  in  purpose,  was  well 
known  for  the  mountains  it  climbed,  especially 
the  Seven  Mile  Mountain.  The  Seven  Mile 
Mountain  (now  more  romantically  but  less 
accurately  called  the  Seven  Mountains)  was  once 
a formidable  obstacle  to  the  traveler.  The  Rev. 
Philip  Fithian  in  1775  was  astonished  at  the 
heights  he  had  to  surmount:  “On  the  Top  of 
this-O  Another  1— Another,  & still  higher!”  He 
reveled  in  “the  rough  romantic  Prospect”  from 


the  summit,  where  "the  highest  Tops  of  very 
Tall  Trees  are,  apparently,  two  or  three  hun- 
dred Feet  below  us,  fc  within  Gunshot  of  us.  I 
was  indeed  afraid  my  Horse  would  miss  a Step, 
(which  would  be  of  more  Consequence  than 
miswalking  a Minuet).”18 

Some  of  the  paths— the  Frankstown  Path  west 
of  Me  Mlister’s  (Roxbury)  Gap,  for  example, 
turned  on  themselves  to  avoid  steep  and  rocky 
c limbs.  I he  surprising  thing,  however,  is  that 
most  paths  managed  to  keep  so  nearly  direct  a 
course.  I hey  were  actually  less  winding,  and 
therefore  shorter,  than  most  of  the  newer  roads 
built  by  white  men.  The  Indians  had  through- 
ways  that  kept  an  eye  on  ultimate  objectives  and 
went  as  straight  as  topography  would  allow:  for 
example  from  Paxtang  (Harrisburg)  to  the 
Forks  of  the  Ohio  (Pittsburgh),  or  from  Muncy 
to  Towanda.  The  white  man’s  roads,  on  the 
other  hand,  starting  out  with  the  same  objec- 
tives, turned  aside  to  avoid  farms  or  to  pick  up 
traffic  in  small  towns  in  the  valleys.  To  go  from 
Muncy  on  t fie  West  Branch  of  the  Susquehanna 
to  Towanda  on  the  North  Branch  by  modern 
roads  is  about  eight  or  nine  miles  longer  than  by 
the  old  Indian  path.  The  Pennsylvania  Turn- 
pike marks,  in  this  respect,  a return  to  the  In- 
dian’s way:  keeping  an  eye  on  the  distant  ter- 
minus and  allowing  local  feeders  to  take  care 
of  the  side  traffic.  To  go  from  Harrisburg  to  Pitts- 
burgh today  by  the  Pennsylvania  Turnpike  is  to 
cover  about  the  same  distance  as  by  the  Raystown 
Path  two  hundred  years  ago.  That  the  modern 
road  is  no  shorter  than  the  trail,  despite  the  ad- 
vantage of  mountain  tunnels,  is  largely  due  to 
the  fact  that,  while  the  Indian  was  not  afraid 
of  making  an  occasional  sharp  ascent  in  order 
to  keep  his  course  true,  the  turnpike  is  graded 
for  high-geared  machines  and  top  speeds,  to 
which  end  it  loops  south  through  the  Glades  of 
Somerset  County. 

I he  most  astonishing  thing  about  Pennsyl- 
vania’s Indian  paths  is  the  complexity  of  the 
system  they  comprised  and  their  adaptability  to 
changing  seasons  and  conditions  of  travel. 
Whether  the  State  as  a whole  is  examined,  or  a 
small  district  like  the  Cornplanter  vicinity  on 
the  upper  Allegheny  River,  the  same  convenient 
variety  of  paths  is  found. 

Replying  to  a request  for  information  con- 
cerning the  Indian  path  from  Gonewango 


0 


(Warren)  to  Cornplanter’s  Town,  Merle  H. 
Deardorff  of  Warren  wrote:  “Stnely  it  can  come 
as  no  surprise  to  you  that  I don’t  believe  in  this 
business  of  ‘the  Indian  trail.’  Maybe  in  some 
situations  and  some  parts;  but  certainly  not  up 
here,  generally.  I know  of  seven  early  ways  In- 
dians used  to  get  overland  between  the  River 
about  Cornplanter  and  the  River-Creek  about 
Warren.  Hatch  Run  was  one.  ...  A path  went 
up  Indian  Hollow.  There  were  probably  dozens 
of  paths.”19 

The  best  way  to  grasp  the  complexity  of  the 
system  is  to  consider  some  of  the  problems  that 
confronted  early  travelers  when  choosing  their 
routes.  The  first  is  a hypothetical  case.  An  In- 
dian traveler  setting  out  from  Shamokin  (Sun- 
bury)  at  the  Forks  of  the  Susquehanna  for  Tioga 
(Athens)  on  the  North  Branch  had  a choice  of 
three  main  paths:  the  Great  Warriors  Path,  the 
Towanda  Path,  and  the  Sheshequin  Path.  Per- 
haps a fourth  should  be  added,  the  Wyalusing 
Path;  but,  since  on  the  testimony  of  John  Ett- 
wein,  this  involved  thirty-six  crossings  of  Muncy 
Creek,  it  could  be  recommended  only  in  the 
summer  months. 

The  Great  Warriors  Path  was  in  some  ways 
the  best  of  the  three.  It  ran  up  the  north  bank 
of  the  Susquehanna  to  the  Wyoming  Valley,  site 
of  Wilkes-Barre,  Kingston,  and  their  neighbor- 
ing towns.  It  crossed  the  Susquehanna  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Lackawanna,  passed  under  Camp- 
bell's Ledge,  followTed  the  east  bank  past  Tunk- 
hannock  and  Wyalusing,  recrossed  the  river  to 
Queen  Esther’s  Flats,  and  entered  Tioga  at  the 
junction  of  the  Chemung  and  Susquehanna 
rivers.  Along  this  route  there  were  no  high 
mountains  to  climb.  If  the  traveler  were  in  need 
of  provisions  or  companionship,  this  was  cer- 
tainly the  way  for  him  to  go.  He  would  pass 
many  settlements,  a succession  (during  the  eight- 
eenth century) , of  Delaware,  Shawnee,  Ma- 
hican,  and  Nanticoke  villages,  besides  a good 
scattering  of  individual  Indian  fields  and  cabins. 
Food  and  shelter  were  everywhere.  It  was  a lei- 
surely route,  being  many  miles  longer  than  either 
of  the  other  twro.  Perhaps  that  is  wyhy  Conrad 
Weiser,  on  his  ambassadorial  journeys  to  Onon- 
daga, the  Iroquois  capital,  did  not  go  this  way. 
Perhaps,  also,  it  was  the  certainty  of  too  much 
company  that  put  him  off.  He  may  not  have 
desired  to  spend  time  “sharing  his  message”  with 


the  chief  men  of  every  village,  as  Indian  etiquette 
prescribed. 

Another  way  to  Tioga  was  up  the  West  Branch 
of  the  Susquehanna  as  far  as  Muncy,  and  from 
there  by  the  Towanda  Path  over  Allegheny 
Mountain  to  Hillsgrove,  up  Elk  Creek,  and  over 
the  Burnet  Hills  to  Powell,  Monroe,  Towanda, 
and  Tioga.  This  was  by  far  the  shortest  path. 
In  the  days  when  the  Susquehannocks  flourished, 
it  may  have  been  used  by  runners  between  com- 
munities at  Muncy  and  Tioga.  Why  Conrad 
Weiser  never  used  it  is  a question.  Perhaps  be- 
cause of  the  hills,  perhaps  also  because  of  the 
dangerous  ford  of  the  Loyalsock  at  Hillsgrove, 
where,  some  years  afterwards,  Baron  Charles 
Boulogne,  land  agent  for  the  Asylum  colony, 
was  drowned.20 

The  Sheshequin  Path  was  the  one  Conrad 
Weiser  always  took.  At  Otstonwakin  (Montours- 
vi lie)  in  his  day,  one  could  count  on  finding  a 
canoe  and  an  easy  crossing  of  Loyalsock  Creek. 
Avoiding  the  low  ground  around  Williamsport, 
the  Sheshequin  Path,  as  he  found  it,  ran  north- 
west from  Montoursville  to  a point  on  Lycoming 
Creek  just  below  Hepburnville.  It  followed  that 
creek  to  its  source,  and  ran  some  distance  down 
Towanda  Creek,  cutting  north  from  this  valley 
by  one  of  several  paths  that  crossed  Sugar  Creek 
to  the  Indian  town  of  Sheshequin  (Ulster)  a few 
miles  below  Tioga.  There  was  (except  in  flood- 
time) little  climbing  to  be  feared  on  this  route. 
The  giades  were  easy,  and,  since  the  path  ran 
most  of  the  way  in  a narrow  valley,  there  was 
little  danger  of  getting  lost.  The  difficulties  were 
of  another  kind.  The  Lycoming  Valley  (being 
flat  and  narrow,  with  sides  steep  and  abrupt) 
flooded  easily,  submerged  the  path,  and  forced 
travelers  to  attempt  the  cliffs.  Bohemia  Moun- 
tain at  the  head  of  the  creek  had  so  bad  a repu- 
tation for  gathering  storms  into  its  bosom  that 
the  Indians  said  an  Otkan  or  evil  spirit  had  resi- 
dence there.  Near  the  head  of  Towanda  Creek, 
moreover,  and  on  the  cross-path  to  Sugar  Creek, 
there  was  swampland.  The  soil  was  thin,  the 
trees  were  weakly  rooted,  and  frequent  wind- 
storms littered  the  ground  with  fallen  timber. 
Modern  maps  still  note  a place  in  the  area  called 
Windfall. 

The  ground,  wrote  Bishop  Spangenberg  of  his 
journey  through  this  “Dismal  Wilderness”  in 


6 


1745,  was  “so  full  of  wood  and  trees  which  the 
wind  has  piled  up  sometimes  three  to  four  loo-s 
upon  one  another  that  often  one  does  not  know 
how  one  may  get  through.”21  Even  more  oppres- 
sive than  windfall  on  the  Sheshequin  Path  was 
the  darkness:  "This  is  a wilderness,”  wrote 
Spangenberg,  "where  one  does  not  see  the  sun 
all  day  long.  The  woods  are  so  thickly  grown 
that  sometimes  one  can  hardly  see  twenty  paces 
ahead.”22 

I he  second  case  chosen  to  illustrate  the  com- 
plexity of  Indian  paths  is  an  actual  one:  Colonel 
Bouquet  s dilemma  at  Fort  Loudon  during  the 
Forbes  campaign.  Bouquet  has  won  well-merited 
praise  for  prospecting  an  all-Pennsylvania  route 
to  Fort  Duquesne.  It  should  be  remembered, 
however,  that  his  achievement  was  not  in  dis- 
covering a new  route  through  the  forest  but  in 
selecting  the  best  one  from  among  many— best  for 
an  army  with  artillery  during  an  unusually  wet 
season,  and  in  need  of  finding  fodder  along  the 
way  for  its  horses  and  cattle.  A prime  reason  for 
taking  the  Pennsylvania  route  instead  of  the 
road  Braddock  had  already  hewn  out  of  the 
forest,  was  that  such  places  as  Edmund’s  Swamp 
and  the  Clear  Fields  offered  better  forage  than 
the  scanty  meadows  Braddock  had  found  on  the 
southern  route.  "I  am  told,”  wrote  Bouquet  to 
I'orbes,  June  11,  “that  Braddock’s  army  went  3 
days  without  finding  grass  for  the  horses,  which 
made  them  unfit  to  carry  provisions;  and  he 
would  have  been  likely  to  die  of  hunger,  if  he 
had  beaten  the  enemy.”23 

At  fort  Loudon  Bouquet  noted  three  routes 
from  which  he  had  to  take  his  pick  before  setting 
his  seven  hundred  axmen  to  work.  He  now 
wished,  as  he  wrote  to  Forbes,  lie  had  taken  an- 
other route  altogether,  one  bv  way  of  Sherman 
Creek.-1  In  the  end  he  chose— as  Burd  had  done 
before  him  in  1755— to  go  bv  wav  of  Cowan  Gap 
to  Burnt  Cabins. 

At  Ligonier,  some  weeks  later,  the  arms  was 
again  confronted  with  a bewildering  choice  of 
Indian  paths.  West  of  Ligonier,  still  another 
choice  had  to  be  made.  At  this  last  Parting  of 
the  Roads,  it  was  decided  to  take  the  northern 
and  much  longer  route,  by  way  of  the  present 
Murrysville  and  Universal.  I he  reasons  lor  the 
choice  were  sound  enough  despite  the  lateness  of 
the  season  which  called  for  speed.  Forbes  desired 


to  avoid  possible  ambush  in  the  defiles  of  Turtle 
Creek,  through  which  the  southern  path  ran. 
No  doubt,  also,  he  wished  to  avoid  the  two 
crossings  of  the  Monongahela  which,  although 
they  had  not  caused  Braddock’s  defeat,  had  cer- 
tainly not  softened  the  disaster.  Another  impor- 
tant consideration  was  the  necessity  of  keeping 
army  transport  wagons  on  a well-drained  ridge 
road,  such  as  the  northern  fork  offered,  during 
the  exceptionally  wet  month  of  November,  1758. 

Five  years  later,  Colonel  Bouquet  was  back 
again  at  the  Parting  of  the  Roads.  This  time  he 
took  the  southern  fork,  again  for  good  reason. 
It  was  during  Pontiac's  War,  and  Pittsburgh  was 
in  danger.  Bouquet,  accordingly,  sacrificed  safety 
for  speed  and  took  the  more  direct  path  by  way 
of  Bushy  Run.  I he  Indians  were  waiting  for 
him— not  at  Turtle  Creek,  as  he  may  have  ex- 
pected, but  at  Bushy  Run,  their  forces  not  un- 
likely having  been  disposed  near  the  Parting  of 
the  Roads  in  order  to  catch  him  whichever  fork 
he  took.  After  a long  fight  in  as  close  and  absorb- 
ing a contest  as  ever  was  waged  between  white 
men  and  Indians  in  Pennsylvania,  Bouquet 
broke  through  and  reached  Pittsburgh  in  time. 

Accustomed  as  men  are  now  to  foam-rubber 
seats  when  they  venture  into  Pennsylvania’s 
mountains,  they  have  developed  exaggerated  no- 
tions of  the  discomforts  and  perils  endured  by 
those  who  entered  them  on  foot.  Life  on  the 
trail  was  neither  as  dangerous  nor  as  monotonous 
as  those  who  get  their  anthropology  from  Feni- 
more  Cooper  and  other  purveyors  of  fiction 
about  “the  unbroken  solitude”  of  “the  trackless 
forest”  would  have  us  believe. 

The  forest  was  a busy  place.  The  traveler  fre- 
quently met  Indians  on  the  trail.  Whether  thtq 
were  engaged  in  hunting,  trade,  war,  diplomacy, 
visiting  relatives  across  the  mountains,  or  going 
as  onlookers  to  some  treaty,  these  encounters 
proved  them  not  to  be  the  fiends  nineteenth 
century  novelists  collected  dimes  for  persuading 
the  public  they  were.  Few  people  on  earth  have 
had  as  good  a record  as  our  Indians  for  courtesy 
and  friendship  to  strangers.  When  white  men 
met  a party  of  Indians,  it  was  good  form  to  sit 
down  with  them  under  a tree  and  smoke  a 
friendly  pipe,  meanwhile  exchanging  the  news  of 
the  day.  If  the  young  men  of  the  Indian  party 
had  been  hunting,  it  was  likely  they  would  press 


/ 


upon  the  strangers  a haunch  of  venison  or  a gam- 
mon of  bear’s  meat.  Hospitality  was  a prime 
virtue  among  these  people,  whether  in  their 
homes  or  on  the  trail. 

Even  without  such  courtesies,  food  was  seldom 
a problem  to  the  traveler.  If  he  did  not  carry  a 
supply  with  him,  he  could  probably  find  what  he 
needed  at  habitations  along  the  way.  Failing  that, 
if  he  had  any  weapon  with  him  there  were  wild 
creatures  in  plenty  to  satisfy  his  appetite.  David 
McClure  on  the  banks  of  Little  Beaver  Creek  in 
1772  tells  of  “a  wonderful  prospect  of  game.  In 
the  middle  of  the  Creek,  a small  flock  of  wild 
geese  were  swimming,  on  the  bank  sat  a large 
flock  of  Turkies,  8c  the  wild  pigeons  covered  one 
or  two  trees;  & all  being  within  musket  shot,  we 
had  our  choice  for  a supper.  My  Interpreter 
chose  the  Turkies,  & killed  three  at  one  shot.”25 

In  season  were  grapes  and  red  plums,  huckle- 
berries and  wild  cherries.  Travelers  carried  with 
them  “parched  meal,”  which  John  Bartram  in 
1743  found  to  be  “some  of  the  best  Indians  travel- 
ing provision.  We  had  of  it  2 bags,  each  a gallon, 
from  the  Indians  at  Onondago,  the  preparation 
of  it  is  thus.  They  take  the  corn  and  parch  it  in 
hot  ashes,  till  it  becomes  brown,  then  clean  it, 
pound  it  in  a mortar  and  sift  it;  this  powder  is 
mixt  with  sugar.  About  1 qr.  of  a pint,  diluted 
in  a pint  of  rvater,  is  a hearty  traveling  dinner, 
when  100  miles  from  any  inhabitants.”26 

Boiled  rattlesnake  was  °;ood  fare.  Turhand 
Kirtland,  a surveyor  who  accompanied  General 
Moses  Cleaveland  to  the  Western  Reserve  in 
1796,  records  the  killing  and  eating  of  a large 
rattler  with  fifteen  rattles:  “I  can  say  with  the 
greatest  Candor  I never  ate  better  Meat.”27 

Finding  accommodation  for  the  night  was  no 
great  problem.  Count  Zinzendorf  might  bring 
along  a tent,  and  Conrad  Weiser  (in  his  later 
years)  might  carry  a hammock,  but  for  most 
travelers  such  luxuries  were  unnecessary.  They 
were  content  to  sleep  on  the  gound  beside  a 
spring  under  the  open  sky.  Boughs  of  hemlock 
and  balsam  made  a soft  mattress.  In  rainy 
weather  there  were  Indian  cabins  to  resort  to. 
On  Lycoming  Creek  Bishop  Spangenberg  entered 
in  his  journal  for  July  5,  1745:  “Towards  night 
we  found  two  old  Indian  lodges,  which  we  en- 
tered, as  it  was  raining  hard.”28 

The  Indians  of  Pennsylvania  had  no  system 


of  caravanseries  such  as  those  established  at  short 
intervals  along  the  great  highways  of  the  Incas, 
but  every  ten  or  twelve  miles  on  the  more  im- 
portant trails  in  Pennsylvania  were  shelters  of 
one  sort  or  another,  places  indicated  on  maps, 
journals,  and  surveys  by  such  designations  as 
“Cock  Eye’s  Cabin,”  “Toby’s  Cabins,”  the  “War- 
riors Spring,”  or  “Old  King  Nutimus,”  to  say 
nothing  of  deserted  Indian  villages  such  as 
“Kickenapaulin’s  Old  Town,”  “Chartier’s  Old 
Town,”  “Kiskiminetas  Old  Town,”  and  many 
others  that  were  nameless.  Where  there  was  an 
“Indian  Field,”  as  so  often  noted  on  land  war- 
rants, one  would  find  good  water,  grass  for  the 
horse,  and  a cabin. 

If  darkness  approached  or  rain  fell  before  a 
party  of  travelers  reached  one  of  these  shelters, 
they  could  easily  run  up  some  cabins  for  them- 
selves. 

“Their  construction  is  very  simple,”  wrote  Ben- 
jamin Mortimer,  who  sawT  many  of  them  on  his 
way  to  Niagara  in  1798,  “as  their  object  is  merely 
to  afford  a shelter  against  the  rain,  and  to  guard 
against  the  dampness  of  the  ground.  They  are 
of  an  oblong  form,  generally  about  9 feet  by  6. 
In  front  they  are  about  5 feet  high,  and  behind 
about  3 1/2  feet,  that  the  roof  may  have  a descent. 
The  four  corners  are  supported  by  as  many 
stakes,  which  are  joined  together  at  top  by  cross 
pieces.  The  roof  is  made  of  the  bark  of  trees, 
which  is  laid  across  in  strips  of  equal  length. 
The  ground  below  is  also  covered  with  strips  of 
bark,  as  large  as  can  be  procured.  The  sides  are 
generally  left  open.  In  case  of  rain,  they  are 
sometimes  enclosed  with  branches  of  trees.  . . . 
The  places  chosen  to  encamp  on  are,  open  spots, 
where  there  is  no  danger  from  the  fall  of  trees, 
or  branches  of  them,  in  case  of  storm;  where 
there  is  grass  for  the  horses,  dry  wood  to  make  a 
fire  of,  and  a creek  or  spring  not  far  distant.  The 
first  thing  to  be  attended  to  in  taking  possession 
of  a hut  (if  one  does  not  build  one  for  oneself) 
is  to  turn  over  all  the  pieces  of  bark  which  lie  on 
the  ground,  to  see  if  there  be  any  snakes  undei 
them.  Then  a large  fire  is  made  in  front;  after 
which  preparation  is  made  to  go  to  rest.”29 

In  Penn’s  Woods  during  the  eighteenth  cen- 
tury, these  shelters  were  a common  sight.  Some- 
times the  passing  traveler  found  bear’s  meat 


8 


hanging  over  the  ashes  in  front  of  a hunter’s 
cabin,  left  as  a gift  to  anyone  in  need. 

The  best  time  to  travel  was  in  the  spring  and 
fall:  in  spring  after  the  ice  had  broken  up  and 
floated  out  of  the  streams,  but  before  the  flies 
and  heat  of  summer  had  set  in;  in  fall  when  the 
mosquitoes  had  disappeared  and  the  nights  were 
crisp,  but  before  the  snow  came.  If  one  traveled 
out  of  season,  it  was  the  better  part  of  wisdom  to 
expect  adventures.  Ice  and  snow,  especially  on 
the  northern  slopes  of  the  hills,  was  treacherous. 
During  the  spring  break-up,  some  fords  were  im- 
passable. There  is  today  at  Doughertys  Mills  on 
I’n.  173  a bridge  overlooking  a ford  of  Slippery 
Rock  Creek.  There  in  summer  you  may  sec  boss 
in  bathing  trunks  slide,  knee-deep  in  the  water, 
down  a slippery  rock  chute  (could  the  creek 
have  been  named  for  it?)  and  plunge  off  at  the 
end  into  a deep  pool.  In  summer  it  is  beautiful 
to  see,  but  how  must  this  ford  have  looked  to 
travelers  when  the  ice  was  coming  down? 

The  most  innocent  ford  could  turn  bad.  A 
flash  flood  might  change  a rivulet  into  a torrent. 
On  the  larger  streams,  a slip  sometimes  plunged 
a man  into  swift  water  over  his  head.  When  John 
Harris  and  his  party,  escaping  from  the  ambush 
at  Penns  Creek  in  1755,  retreated  across  the  Sus- 
quehanna to  Shamokin,  four  or  five  of  his  men 
were  drowned  at  the  ford. 

Martin  Mack  ran  into  trouble  crossing  the  Le- 
high on  foot  early  in  April,  1745.  “It  was  so 
extreamely  cold,”  he  wrote,  “that  at  first  we  tho’t 
it  impossible  for  us  to  endure  it.  When  we  got 
about  the  middle,  it  was  so  deep  & the  Stream  so 
strong,  that  I tho‘  every  Minute  it  wo'1  bear  me 
down,  & my  feet  stuck  between  2 great  Rocks.”30 
He  got  out  at  last  by  taking  hold  of  a com- 
panion’s coat. 

forest  fires  provided  an  occasional  exciting  in- 
terlude. I here  is  no  record  in  Pennsylvania  of 
any  escape  so  heart  warming  as  that  of  Fenimore 
Cooper’s  Pawnee,  “Hard  Heart,"  who  wrapped 
himself  in  a fresh  buffalo  hide  and  sat  a prairie 
fire  out;  but  two  Moravian  missionaries,  Martin 
Mack  and  Christian  frolic  k,  provide  out  of  their 
own  experience  on  the  path  from  Wapwallopen 
a memorable  scene: 

The  Woods  were  on  Fire  all  round  us 

[wrote  Mack,  April  19,  1745],  so  that  in 

many  Places  it  look’d  very  Terrible,  X:  many 


Times  we  scarce  knew  how  to  get  thro’.  The 
Trees  fell  down  all  about,  because  the  Fire 
burnt  so  strong.  One  can’t  easily  get  out  of 
the  Way,  because  there  are  such  exceeding 
high  Mountains  on  each  Side  of  one.  After 
Dinner  we  came  between  2 great  Mountains 
full  of  Rocks  & the  Fire  burnt  all  round  us, 

& made  a prodigious  Crackling.  Before  us, 
where  we  were  to  go,  there  was  such  a great 
Flame  that  we  were  a little  afraid  to  go  thro’ 
it  & we  co'1  find  no  other  Way,  to  escape  it. 
Br.  Xtian  went  first  thro’,  The  Flames  went 
quite  over  his  Head,  it  look’d  a little  dismal. 
He  got  thro’  but  I did  not  know  it,  because 
I co'1  not  see  any  more  for  the  Fire.  I call’d 
to  him,  he  answered  me  immediately,  & said: 
He  got  safe  thro’.  I thought  I wod  wait  a 
little  longer  till  it  was  burnt  away  a little 
more,  but  the  Fire  grew  still  greater.  He 
call’d  again  & pray’d  me  to  come  thro’,  say- 
ing Our  Dr  Savr  had  promised:  “When 

thou  walkcst  thro’  the  Fire,  thou  shall  not 
be  burnt;  neither  shall  the  Flame  kindle 
upon  I hee.”  I ventured  & went  chearfully  in 
X:  thro’  the  flame  X:  got  safe  thro’.31 

White  men  traveling  on  horseback  and  in 
season  were  seldom  endangered  by  bad  fordings, 
and  to  encounter  a forest  fire  was  rare.  A more 
common  hazard  was  getting  lost.  If  in  this  con- 
nection “the  trackless  wilderness”  springs  to 
mind,  forget  it.  When  an  Indian  lost  his  way  in 
the  woods,  as  he  sometimes  did,  it  was  as  likely  as 
not  because  there  were  too  many  tracks  and  he 
had  taken  the  wrong  one.  Fenimore  Cooper’s 
feathered  creations  had,  of  course,  no  need  of 
such  refinements  as  footpaths.  As  long  as  there 
was  moss  on  the  trees  (to  distinguish  south  from 
north)  their  wants  were  satisfied:  they  “traveled 
by  moss,  as  he  expressed  it.  But  real  Indians, 
despite  their  undoubted  skill  in  woodcraft,  had 
the  same  reason  for  keeping  to  the  beaten  path 
that  motorists  have  for  preferring  paved  high- 
ways to  plowed  fields. 

Storm  was  the  greatest  of  all  trail  wreckers. 
After  a bad  windstorm,  travelers  often  found  it 
easier  to  go  round  than  over  the  fallen  timber— 
if  the  wreckage  allowed  any  choice.  As  the  years 
passed  and  the  fir  giants  by  the  trail  laid  them- 
selves down  one  by  one,  the  path  slowly  adjusted 
itself,  moving  now  to  the  right  and  now  to  the 
left.  If  a graph  could  be  made  of  a trail,  decade 
by  decade,  it  would  show  a broad,  blurred  band, 
perhaps  (as  in  the  portage  area  between  Presque 
Isle  and  French  Creek)  a mile  or  more  in 
breadth. 


9 


There  were  times  when  travelers  in  the  wake 
of  a hurricane  were  forced  by  the  tangled  wind- 
fall to  make  so  wide  a detour  that  they  became 
lost.  That  happened  to  John  Heckewelder  and 
Benjamin  Mortimer  on  their  journey  from  Beth- 
lehem to  Fairfield  in  1798.  Even  their  Indian 
guide  had  lost  his  bearings.  It  is  easy  to  under- 
stand why  Indian  war  parties  ( pace  Fenimore 
Cooper)  did  not  care  to  venture  into  new  coun- 
try or  off  the  main  paths  anywhere  unless  they 
had  with  them  someone  who  knew  the  way. 

It  is  a popular  belief  that  the  wild  animals, 
which  were  undoubtedly  here  before  the  Indians, 
deserve  chief  credit  for  the  laying  out  of  the 
Indian  paths.  When  the  Indians  arrived,  as  a 
schoolgirl  has  put  it,  “they,  spying  the  animals’ 
tracks,  followed  them  when  they  wished  to  go 
anywhere,  and  in  this  manner  the  trails  grew  into 
paths.”  That  is  a pleasant  doctrine  for  animal 
lovers,  but  not  the  soundest  anthropology.  It  is 
true,  of  course,  that  in  tight  places  animals  fre- 
quently pioneered  the  way.  In  a report  to  the 
Pennsylvania  Assembly  made  in  1815  by  “the 
Commissoners  appointed  to  view  the  western 
waters,”  it  is  said  “that  the  path  on  which  the 
elks  and  bears  pass  over  the  mountains,  is  uni- 
formly the  best  ground.”32 

But  wild  animals  do  not  harbor  the  same 
thoughts  nor  pursue  the  same  objectives  as  men. 
As  a boy,  the  present  writer  explored  untraveled 
woods  on  the  shores  of  the  Georgian  Bay.  It 
often  delighted  him  to  find  a deer  track  conveni- 
ently going  his  way.  Just  as  often  it  disappointed 
him  to  find,  when  the  path  veered  off— as  it  al- 
ways did  in  a few  yards— that  the  deer  and  he  had 
different  concerns. 

So  it  was  with  David  Zeisberger,  as  he  records 
in  his  journal  for  October  8,  1767,  in  passing 
through  the  Pine  Barrens  on  the  Forbidden 
Path:  “Occasionally,  we  came  upon  elk  tracks  . . . 
which  have  the  appearance  of  a trail.  We  were 
misled  by  them  into  a terrible  wilderness,  so  that 
it  was  necessary  to  retrace  our  steps  and  stop 
until  John  had  had  an  opportunity  to  go  through 
the  woods  and  find  the  right  trail.”33 

That  the  buffalo  (bison)  in  some  parts  of 
America  was  a pioneer  in  road  engineering  is 
beyond  question.  John  Heckewelder  and  his 
party  in  1792,  returning  from  Vincennes  by  way 


of  "the  so-called  Buffalo  Salt  Lick”  (French  Lick, 
Indiana)  , where  he  saw  the  remains  of  a multi- 
tude of  buffalo,  wrote  in  his  journal  under  date 
of  November  9: 

A great  many  buffalo  paths  lead  out  from 
here,  & we  had  the  misfortune  to  take  one 
of  these  instead  of  the  right  one.  When, 
however,  our  guides,  who  were  not  with  us 
at  the  time,  returned,  they  led  us  back  on  to 
the  right  path  and  then  went  ahead  again  to 
hunt.  After  we  had  gone  about  5 miles,  a 
herd  of  buffaloes  came  directly  towards  us, 
as  if  they  meant  to  run  us  down.  We  fired 
into  them,  killed  one,  & wounded  another. 
We  took  all  the  meat  of  the  former,  which 
was  very  fat,  with  us  on  our  horses.34 

It  is  doubtful,  however,  if  buffalo  road-making 
amounted  to  much,  if  anything,  in  Pennsylvania. 
It  is  even  questionable  if  the  buffalo  were  ever  at 
home  in  these  parts,  though  some  isolated  bands 
may  have  wandered  in  at  times.  Archeologists  to 
date  have  found  no  unmistakable  trace  of  buffalo 
bones  here. 

Documentary  evidence  is  as  negative  as  arche- 
ological. Early  travelers  in  Pennsylvania 
(whether  Jesuit  and  Moravian  missionaries  or 
English  traders  and  soldiers)  make  no  mention 
of  seeing  buffalo  or  their  bones  in  Pennsylvania, 
though  they  tell  eagerly  enough  about  meeting 
these  creatures  outside  the  province. 

Reuben  Gold  Thwaites,  in  a note  on  the  buf- 
falo in  his  edition  of  the  Jesuit  Relations , quotes 
Father  Pierre  Boucher's  Histoire  Veritable  et 
Naturelle  des  Moeurs  et  Productions  du  Pays  de 
la  Nouvelle  France  (1663)  : “As  for  for  the  ani- 
mals called  Bufles,  they  are  only  found  in  the 
country  of  the  Outaouais,  some  four  or  five  hun- 
dred leagues  from  Quebec,  towards  the  West  and 
North.”35 

Pierre  de  Bonnecamp,  who  accompanied  Ce- 
loron  on  his  expedition  in  1749  down  the  Alle- 
gheny and  Ohio  rivers,  wrote  in  his  journal:  “It 
was  in  the  neighborhood  of  this  river  [Chino- 
daichta,  which  Thwaites  identifies  as  the  Great 
Kanawha]  that  we  began  to  see  the  Illinois  cattle 
[i.e.,  bison].”36 

Reliable  authorities  on  the  distribution  of  the 
bison  in  North  America— men  such  as  J.  A.  Allen, 
Samuel  N.  Rhoads,  John  W.  Griffin,  John  E. 
Guilday— agree  in  discounting  traditions  about 


10 


the  slaughter  of  buffalo  in  Pennsylvania.  Yet 
these  same  scholars,  taking  into  consideration  the 
early  prevalence  of  buffalo  place  names  west  of 
the  Susquehanna  and  the  known  presence  of  buf- 
falo in  neighboring  states  (West  Virginia,  Ohio 
New  York)  agree  that  small  bands  of  buffalo, 
breaking  off  from  the  main  herds  as  was  not  un- 
common, very  likely  wandered  into  parts  of 
Pennsylvania  in  search  of  food.  In  this  connec- 
tion an  interesting  hypothesis  has  recently  been 
advanced:  that  after  1600  a period  of  drought  on 
the  prairies  drove  small  bands  of  buffalo  east  of 
the  Mississippi,  some  of  them  perhaps  crossing 
the  hills  into  Pennsylvania’s  river  valleys.37 

Whether  or  not  such  a migration  is  sufficient  to 
account  for  the  grooving  out  (in  a few  places)  of 
the  mountain  path  known  as  the  Warriors 
Branch  in  Greene  County,  will  have  to  await 
further  evidence  for  decision. 

There  remains  an  item  in  the  traveler’s  experi- 
ence of  two  hundred  years  ago  that  should  not 
be  neglected:  the  painted  trees.  A section  of  the 
Towanda  Path,  where  it  came  down  off  the  Bur- 
net Hills  along  Millstone  Creek,  was  known 
among  the  early  settlers— and  still  is  known 
among  their  descendants  — as  “the  Painted 
I>ine.”3S  It  received  this  curious  name  from  the 
many  examples  found  along  the  path  of  Indian 
picture  writing.  It  was  an  Indian  custom  to  strip 
a ring  of  bark  from  a tree  and  paint  on  the  ex- 
posed surface,  with  red  ochre  and  charcoal,  the 
news  of  the  day.  These  tree  paintings  remained 
visible  sometimes  for  as  long  as  fifty  years.30  All 
Indians  of  Pennsylvania,  whatever  their  spoken 
language,  could  read  these  pictures,  which 
usually  told  about  the  exploits  of  hunters  or  a 
war  party,  although  they  were  also  used  for  other 
purposes.  During  the  Braddock  campaign,  the 
French  Indians  painted  trees  (where  the  British 
were  bound  to  see  them)  with  "many  threats  and 
bravados.”10  In  the  vicinity  of  some  Moravian 
Indian  towns,  trees  were  painted  in  Delaware 
with  Scripture  texts.'1 

An  excellent  description  of  a warrior’s  tree 
painting  is  given  by  Abraham  Steiner  in  his  jour 
nal  for  June  1,  1780,  on  his  return  by  the  Mahon- 
ing Path  from  Pettquotting  to  the  Salt  Spring, 
kuskuskies,  and  Pittsburgh: 

Here  was  a peeled  tree  on  which  some 

great  warrior  during  the  last  war  had  in- 


scribed his  exploits  with  charcoal  & redstone. 
We  got  the  Indians  to  interpret  it  for  us.  On 
one  side  7 muskets  had  been  painted,  one  on 
top  of  the  other.  This  means  that  7 warriors 
had  gone  to  war  from  there.  On  the  other 
side  was  a turkey  to  indicate  that  their  leader 
was  of  the  turkey  tribe.  Beside  it  were  8 
thick  diagonal  lines  one  above  another.  This 
means  that  the  chief  had  gone  out  on  so 
mans  raids.  In  the  lowest  line  were  4 arrow's, 
in  the  2nd  two,  in  the  7th  two.  This  means, 
each  time  the  arrows  were  shown,  that  as 
many  of  them  had  been  killed  as  there  were 
arrows  through  the  line.  The  first  & seventh 
lines  each  had  another  arrow,  which,  how- 
ever, did  not  go  through  the  line.  These 
indicate  as  many  wounded  as  there  are  ar- 
rows. The  6th  &:  7th  lines  wrere  connected 
at  the  ends  with  a mark.  This  means  that 
the  warrior  after  he  had  been  out  6 times 
turned  back  from  here  & went  out  the  7th 
time  without  going  home.  Besides  it  lay  6 
men  one  on  top  of  another  with  their  feet 
higher  than  their  heads.  This  means  that 
his  party  had  killed  so  manv  white  people.42 

Indian  paths  differed  much  in  width  and  dis- 
tinctness. Main  paths  were  broad  and  well  trod- 
den. Mrs.  Jane  Whittaker,  in  the  narrative  of 
her  captivity,  described  the  path  she  traveled 
w'ith  her  Seneca  captors  in  1779  (from  Tioga  on 
the  North  Branch  of  the  Susquehanna  by  w'ay  of 
Painted  Post  to  Irondequoit  Bay  on  Lake  On- 
tario) as  “a  foot  path  wrell  beaten  and  quite  wide 
enough  in  many  places  for  twro  abreast.”43 

There  wrere  also  wdiat  wrere  called  "blind 
paths,”  which  had  gone  out  of  common  use  and 
were  so  overgrown  as  to  be  difficult  to  follow. 
Certain  well-used  paths  were  so  narrow  (for  ex- 
ample, the  Tulpehocken  Path  at  the  gap  in  the 
Second  Mountain)  that  not  more  than  eighteen 
inches  separated  the  cliff  that  rubbed  one’s 
shoulder  on  the  one  side  from  the  bank  that 
dropped  to  the  creek  on  the  other.  A few  paths 
were  properly  maintained,  that  is,  kept  free  of 
underbrush  and  windfall.  The  metaphor  used  in 
diplomatic  parlance  to  express  international 
friendship,  "keeping  the  road  clear  between  us,” 
was  not  a mere  poetical  conceit.  Hiawatha, 
among  his  legendary  labors  on  man’s  behalf,  is 
said  to  have  cleared  the  rocks  and  trees  from  the 
Mohawk  River.  The  ideal,  personified  in  this 
Iroquois  culture  hero,  of  forwarding  civilization 
by  keeping  communications  clear,  was  not  lim- 
ited to  the  waterways. 


11 


The  centers  of  Indian  population  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, under  pressure  from  the  white  man,  moved 
westward  from  the  Delaware  River  to  the  Susque- 
hanna River,  and  later  from  the  Susquehanna  to 
the  Allegheny  and  Ohio  rivers.  During  these 
changes  some  Indian  paths  dropped  out  of  use 
and  others  were  obliterated  by  the  ruts  of  wagon 
wheels  and  the  diversions  incident  to  the  white 
man’s  traffic.  As  might  be  expected,  it  was  the 
area  around  Philadelphia  that  first  lost  its  Indian 
paths.  Then,  as  the  white  population  spread  west 
and  north  from  that  center,  the  trails  between 
the  Delaware  and  the  Susquehanna  gave  way  be- 
fore the  pack  horse  and  the  Conestoga  wagon. 
Throughout  the  eighteenth  century  the  westward 
movement  continued,  traders,  missionaries,  sol- 
diers, and  settlers  following  the  retreating  Indian 
to  his  last  Pennsylvania  refuge  in  the  Ohio- 
Allegheny  Valley. 

Trails  were  widened  into  bridle  paths  for  the 
traders’  pack  trains.  By  the  time  of  the  Revolu- 
tion, bridle  paths  had  been  converted  into  wagon 
roads  as  far  west  as  Pittsburgh.  After  the  Revolu- 
tion the  movement  continued,  converting  wagon 
roads  into  railroads  west  “to  the  setting  sun” 
and  the  Western  Sea. 

A peculiar  difficulty  attending  the  study  of 
Pennsylvania’s  Indian  paths  derives  from  the 
fact,  already  noted,  that  these  paths  were  so  im- 
permanent. No  stone,  no  “road  metal,”  was  used 
on  them,  and  only  a few  have  survived.  Our 
knowledge  of  them  is,  for  the  most  part,  gathered 
from  records  made  by  white  men  in  historic 
times. 

In  Pennsylvania  today  it  is  seldom  possible  to 
walk  an  old  Indian  path.  Most  traces  have  been 
obliterated  by  farming,  lumbering,  road  making 
(whether  wagon  road  or  railroad)  , house-build- 
ing, and  strip  mining.  In  mountain  regions  for- 
tunate enough  to  have  escaped  the  plow  or  the 
bulldozer,  evidence  of  Indian  paths  is  so  confused 
by  the  presence  of  animal  tracks  and  lumber 
roads  (where  heavy  timbers  have  been  dragged 
along  the  ground)  that  it  is  not  often  one  can 
be  sure  of  treading  in  the  footsteps  of,  say,  a 
Logan  or  “Shingas  the  Terrible.” 

Nevertheless  it  is  possible  to  map  the  old  paths 
with  a fair  approach  to  precision.  There  are 
many  sources  of  information  available,  many 
kinds  of  evidence  which  can  be  used  as  guides. 


Among  these  are  early  maps,  travelers’  journals, 
land  warrants  and  warrantee  surveys,  road  view- 
ers’ reports,  archeologists’  findings,  reminiscences 
of  oldtimers,  place  names,  contour  maps,  the 
painstaking  researches  of  local  historians,  and  of 
course  the  researcher’s  own  field  work. 

The  early  map  makers  of  Pennsylvania— men 
such  as  Lewis  Evans,  Nicholas  and  William  Scull, 
Reading  Howell,  John  Adlum,  and  John  Wallis— 
are  useful  in  showing  what  to  look  for,  but  they 
are  not  of  much  help  in  detail.  That  is  not  sur- 
prising, because,  for  one  thing,  they  were  often 
mapping  trails  from  hearsay;  and  because,  for  an- 
other, they  concerned  themselves  chiefly  with 
traders’  paths,  disregarding  those  used  only  by 
Indians.  What  knowledge  we  have  of  these 
“warriors  paths”  comes  for  the  most  part  from 
warrantee  surveys  and  the  narratives  of  white 
captives  such  as  Moses  Van  Campen  and  Mrs. 
Jane  Whittaker. 

Travelers’  journals  often  give  closer  detail  on 
individual  points:  where  mountains  were 

climbed,  gaps  entered,  streams  forded.  The 
swamps,  springs,  and  salt  licks  mentioned  by 
travelers  are  often  identifiable,  and  so  are  the 
Indian  villages. 

The  Bureau  of  Land  Records  at  Harrisburg  is 
the  pathfinder’s  paradise.  Applications,  warrants 
for  survey,  and  the  surveys  themselves  are  replete 
with  Indian  paths.  In  early  days,  before  the  land 
was  cleared  and  settled,  one  of  the  best  ways  to 
identify  a desired  tract  of  land  was  for  the  appli- 
cant to  mention  the  Indian  path  on  which  it  lay. 
Surveyors  often  showed  these  paths  on  their 
drafts. 

Warrantee  surveys  cannot  be  counted  on  for 
one-hundred-percent  accuracy  in  the  delineation 
of  trails,  these  being  only  incidental  to  the  sur- 
veyor’s purpose;  but  the  margin  of  error  was  not 
often  very  high.  To  correct  it,  it  is  usually  suffi- 
cient to  study  a contour  map  or  make  a field 
trip.  One  learns  to  recognize  good  trail  country: 
where,  for  instance,  a path  would  choose  the  neu- 
tral around  between  stream  heads,  where  it 
would  prefer  to  keep  to  the  stream  level,  what 
course  it  would  take  to  avoid  small  bits  of  marsh 
not  shown  on  the  map,  and  where  a crack  in  a 
cliff  (unnoticed  on  the  contour  map)  made  room 
for  a path  to  descend. 


12 


Early  road  viewers’  reports  are  sometimes  of 
value,  and  so  are  advertisements  for  contractors 
to  open  roads  — especially  where,  as  with  the 
I urkeyfoot  Road  of  1751,  it  meant  no  more  than 
cutting  the  brush  and  removing  the  logs  from  an 
Indian  path. 

Local  tradition  is  not  to  he  despised,  though  it 
calls  lor  some  skepticism  on  the  part  of  the  in- 
quirer—as  when  the  “Iroquois  Fort”  in  Elk 
County  is  reported  to  have  been  where  Lafayette 
wintered  his  army  during  the  Revolutionary 
War.  On  die  other  hand,  when  a ninety-year- 
oldster  takes  you  to  the  place  where  his  grand- 
father showed  him  an  Indian  path  crossing  a 
corner  of  the  ancestral  farm,  he  may  have  given 
you  a clue  to  a useful  chain  of  evidence  you 
might  otherwise  have  missed.  I here  is  some- 
thing in  the  field  worker’s  maxim,  "Ask  the  oldest 
inhabitant.” 

The  archeologist  is  the  pathfinder’s  natural 
ally.  Both  are  Indian  hunters,  though  one  takes 
the  high  road  and  the  other  the  low  road.  W’hen 
a good  ‘dig”  discloses  a former  Indian  townsite, 
it  may  be  presumed  that  this  was  at  one  time  a 
trail  terminal.  The  pattern  of  camp  sites  in  a 
given  area  may  sometimes  give  a clue  to  the 
course  of  a trail  through  it.  River  fords  are  often 
identifiable  by  flint  chips  and  even  pottery  found 
at  both  ends.  Archeological  evidence,  like  every 
other  kind  ol  evidence,  must  of  course  be  used 
with  caution.  I he  discovery,  for  instance,  of  an 
archaic  site  does  not  mean  that  a trail  must  have 
tun  that  way  in  historic  times,  for  communica- 
tion routes  changed  with  the  centuries;  and  the 
fact  that  no  arrowheads  or  pottery  have  been 
found  in  a certain  neighborhood  is  not  proof 
that  no  Indians  went  by  that  way. 

Pathfinding  ol  the  kind  described  in  this  book 
is  not,  except  in  rare  instances,  primarily  an  ath- 
letic adventure.  It  is  a matter  of  patient  library 
i esearch,  with  field  work  (on  foot  or  by  motor 
car)  in  support. 

Every  path  has  its  own  peculiar  problems 
which  the  researcher  must  solve.  To  find  a clue 
to  any  one  ol  these  is  his  immediate  task.  He 
must  settle  down  to  a study  of  relevant  data  from 
an\  number  of  available  sources.  Authorities, 
written  or  oral,  must  be  checked  and  rechcckec! 
.New  facts  must  be  gathered  and  explanations  at 
tempted  of  what  at  first  sight  appears  to  be  con- 


flicting evidence.  Collecting  facts,  rejecting  the 
irrelevant,  making  hypotheses,  and  testing  these 
out— such  is  the  engrossing,  exasperating,  never- 
ending  process  of  trail  hunting  today,  surely  the 
nearest  thing  to  the  labors  of  Sisyphus  known  to 
man. 

Yet  it  has  its  compensations.  It  is  an  exhilirat- 
ing  experience  when,  after  chasing  into  limbo  a 
dozen  hvpothcses  (as  in  the  search  for  George 
Washington's  path  to  Venango  and  Fort  Le 
Boeuf)  the  hunter  at  last  finds  one  that  stands 
firm,  supported  by  a large  bodv  of  good  evidence. 

The  danger  in  this  tantalizing  game  is  that  the 
player  will  too  soon  despair.  The  temptation  to 
give  up  is  great.  It  is  difficult  for  anyone  not  to 
take  panic  when  he  surveys  a vast  accumulation 
of  evidence  in  which  the  individual  pieces  all 
seem  to  point  in  different  directions— each  sepa- 
rate item,  it  may  be,  facing  a variety  of  ways,  and 
being  capable  of  several  contrary  interpretations. 
At  such  a time  trail  hunting  seems  like  chasing 
the  Lost  Chord  through  the  Tower  of  Babel. 

But  even  under  these  circumstances,  a har- 
mony can  often  be  detected  by  the  researcher  if 
defeatism  (the  scholar’s  death  wish— and  who  can 
blame  him?)  has  not  stopped  his  ears.  If  his 
nerve  holds,  he  may  discover  that,  while  each 
piece  of  evidence  when  taken  alone  is  subject  to 
interpretations  out  of  key  with  the  others,  each 
piece  has  nevertheless  one  interpretation  which 
is  possible  to  every  other  piece.  That,  in  all  prob- 
ability, is  the  solution  he  has  been  looking  for, 
and  reason  tells  him  to  accept  it. 

Reasoning  from  probabilities  is,  of  course,  not 
to  be  undertaken  lightly.  It  is  dangerous,  and 
conclusions  so  arrived  at  call  for  further  and 
most  rigorous  testing.  But,  if  used  with  caution 
and  judgment,  it  is  a method  of  logic  not  despised 
by  modern  science,  which  often  finds  conclusions 
drawn  from  tested  probabilities  to  be  steps  in 
the  advancement  of  knowledge. 

THE  MAPS 

This  is  an  outdoor  book,  designed  for  quick 
use  on  the  road  as  well  as  in  the  library  or  study. 
For  that  reason,  in  describing  old  paths  modern 
place  names  are  used  without  the  apologetic 
word  “present”  prefixed  to  them  in  the  text;  and, 
on  the  maps,  the  names  of  today’s  towns  are 
freely  scattered  along  the  paths  in  order  to  help 


13 


travelers  get  their  bearings.  Modern  towns  are, 
however,  distinguished  from  Indian  towns  by  the 
symbols  used:  an  open  circle  for  the  one  and  a 
black  teepee  for  the  other. 

Naming  the  trails  brings  out  some  awkward 
problems.  Since  the  map  maker  has  to  work  with- 
out the  aid  of  a trail  gazetteer,  he  finds  it  neces- 
sary now  and  then  to  make  an  arbitrary  choice 
of  name.  That  is  because— although  he  recognizes 
that  usage  is  the  best  authority— usage  varies 
from  place  to  place.  The  Great  Shamokin  Path, 
for  example,  was  (and  still  is)  commonly  known 
along  certain  sections  of  its  route  as  the  Chink- 
lacamoose  Path  and  along  others  as  the  Kittan- 
ning Path.  All  paths  bore  two-way  traffic,  and  in 
consequence  their  names,  when  taken  as  was 
usual  from  their  termini,  were  reversible.  If  one 
man  took  the  Kittanning  Path  from  Chinklaca- 
moose  and  another  the  Chinklacamoose  Path 
from  Kittanning,  they  would  meet  on  the  way. 
What  was  the  Tulpehocken  Path  to  Indians  at 
Shamokin  was  the  Shamokin  Path  to  those  at 
Tulpehocken. 

Sometimes  paths  were  named  for  intermediate 
junction  points,  such  as  the  Frankstown  Path  or 
the  Raystown  Path,  both  of  which  ran  all  the 
way  from  the  Susquehanna  to  the  Allegheny.  But 
these  same  paths  might  also  be  named  for  any 
other  stopping  points  along  the  way. 

It  will  readily  be  seen  into  what  dangers  this 
haphazard  system  of  nomenclature  leads  the  geog- 
rapher. He  finds  as  many  Kittanning,  Venango, 
and  Wyoming  paths  as  there  were  travelers  going 
from  any  direction  to  Kittanning,  Venango,  and 
Wyoming.  The  Mahoning  Path  west  of  Kuskus- 
kies  was  also  known  as  the  Salt  Lick  Path,  the 
Tuscarawas  Path,  the  Sandusky  Path,  the  Detroit 
Path— or  by  the  name  cf  any  other  place  it  may 
have  led  to. 

As  time  went  on,  certain  trails  settled  down  to 
possession  of  distinctive  and  permanent  titles. 
There  is  today  only  one  Towanda  Path,  one  Pine 
Creek  Path,  one  Sinnemahoning  Path.  Their 
names  are  established,  accepted.  They  give  the 
map  maker  no  trouble.  But  it  is  different  for  him 
when,  for  instance,  he  has  to  decide  which  among 
the  many  paths  to  Wyoming  (Wilkes-Barre) 
should  be  given  sole  title  to  the  name  Wyoming. 
In  this  particular  case,  the  present  writer  has 


thought  best  to  drop  the  name  Wyoming  alto- 
gether, and  to  call  the  paths  radiating  into  Wyo- 
ming by  the  names  of  points  on  the  outside  rim: 
the  Pechoquealin  Path,  the  Wechquetank  Path, 
the  Wapwallopen  Path,  and  the  Lackawanna 
Path. 

When  the  writer  has  had  to  coin  a new  name, 
he  has  avoided  the  fanciful  and  used  the  names 
of  the  path’s  two  termini,  such  as  Venango- 
Chinklacamoose  Path  (from  Clearfield  to  Frank- 
lin) , which  is  so  named  to  distinguish  it  from 
other  paths  headed  for  Franklin.  To  record  all 
the  names  given  each  path  at  one  time  or  an- 
other would  certainly  have  made  an  unwieldy 
and  confusing  map.  It  is  hoped  that  the  present 
attempt  to  simplify  the  nomenclature  has  not 
compounded  the  confusion. 

The  maps  here  printed  are  maps  of  Indian 
days.  They  do  not,  however,  represent  a single 
point  in  time.  They  show  where,  at  any  time 
after  the  coming  of  the  white  men,  the  main 
Indian  paths  are  known  to  have  run.  Those 
around  Philadelphia  were  already  beginning  to 
drop  out  of  Indian  use  in  William  Penn’s  day. 
By  the  end  of  the  French  and  Indian  War,  most 
of  the  paths  east  of  the  Susquehanna  had  become 
white  men’s  roads.  Toward  the  end  of  the 
eighteenth  century,  even  Western  Pennsylvania 
was  losing  its  Indian  paths.  The  present  maps, 
however,  make  no  attempt  to  date  these  changes. 

All  the  maps  are  limited  to  the  contact  period. 
Ancient  Indian  sites,  unless  they  survived  into 
the  seventeenth  century  as  Indian  habitations  or 
at  least  as  objects  of  special  note  to  travelers,  are 
not  here  indicated.  An  occasional  fort,  Indian  or 
white,  has  been  shown  when  it  helps  to  explain 
the  course  of  a path.  Little  attention  has  been 
paid  to  settlers’  plantations  unless,  like  Christo- 
pher Gist’s  on  Nemacolin’s  Path,  they  were  key 
points  on  important  highways.  A few  “sleeping 
places”  named  after  white  traders  have  been  in- 
cluded, such  as  Hart’s  Log  and  Owen’s  Stamping 
Ground,  since  they  were  as  integral  to  the  life  of 
the  trail  as  Tohogus’s  Cabins  or  Fish  Basket  Old 
Town. 

For  convenient  reference,  Indian  names  are  as 
a rule  given  the  spelling  that  English  usage  has 
made  familiar:  Buckaloons,  for  example,  rather 
than  Bough-Helloons,  Paks-Kalunska,  or  Pequi- 
hillieu. 


If  Indian  town-,  jump  about  on  old  maps  as 
if  the  cartographers  enjoyed  repeating  their 
names  ad  lib.,  do  not  be  impatient:  The  early 
map  makers  of  Pennsylvania  were  only  recording 
the  facts.  Communities  of  Indians  often  migrated 
under  pressure  from  the  white  men,  as  they  did 
after  the  Walking  Purchase.  Towns  named  after 
chiefs  such  as  Nutimus,  Neolcgan  ( Mewallika)  , 
and  Kickenapaulin  arc  in  consequence  found  in 
a variety  of  places.  Many  communities  moved  for 
another  reason,  the  exhaustion  of  the  soil.  Under 
such  condition,  the  villagers  would  move  to  fresh 
cornfields  a few  miles  away,  build  themselves 
houses,  and  apply  the  old  town  name  to  the  new 
premises. 

This  last  custom  helps  to  explain  a curious 
ambivalence  in  Indian  place  names.  They  some- 
times represented  not  only  the  site  of  a particular 
town  at  a particular  time,  but  also  the  whole 
area  for  main  miles  about.  At  Easton,  for  in- 
stance, in  the  Forks  of  the  Delaware  where  the 
Lehigh  and  Delaware  join,  there  was  a town 
known  as  Lechawekink,  the  Forks.  But  the  term 
“Forks  of  the  Delaware”  meant  also  a wide  terri- 
toiv  that  included  ihe  sites  of  Na/areth,  Bethle- 
hem, Allentown,  and  a good  deal  more  besides. 

These  perambulating  villages  are  an  embar- 
rassment to  the  historical  geographer.  If  he  does 
not  put  in  all  the  Goschgosc thinks,  someone  will 
be  disappointed.  It  would  be  useful  if  on  the 
accompanying  maps  the  dates  could  be  given  of 
each  town’s  tenure  of  its  site,  but  this  has  not 
been  found  practicable. 

Some  famous  Indian  towns  have  been  omitted 
from  the  maps,  Playwicky,  lor  example.  The 
existence  of  such  a town  is  well  authenticated, 
but  its  exact  site  is  in  dispute.  Only  a few  of  the 
many  “Indian  fields,”  which  appear  so  frequently 
in  warrantee  surveys,  have  been  introduced,  and 
very  few  Indian  cabins.  Of  these,  just  a sufficient 
number  have  been  shown  to  remind  the  reader 
of  what  was  once  a common  sight  along  Indian 
paths.  One  or  two  hunting  cabins  have  been 
marked,  a reminder  that  seasonal  change  of 
habitat  was  as  well-established  an  institution 
among  our  early  Indians  as  it  is  today  among  the 
inhabitants  of  suburbia. 

Some  of  the  paths  here  described  appear  for 
the  first  time  in  print.  But  the  present  work 
makes  no  pretense  to  be  definitive.  Of  the  multi- 


tude of  Indian  paths  in  Pennsylvania,  only  a few 
have  been  introduced.  Even  of  the  main  high- 
wavs,  the  through  ways  with  which  this  study 
chiefly  concerns  itself,  there  were  no  doubt  many 
variants  which  have  not  here  been  discussed.  The 
writer  can  onlv  .av  that,  after  sifting  a vast  com- 
plexity of  evidence  gathered  in  the  field,  in  li- 
braries, county  court  houses,  the  Bureau  of  Land 
Records  and  the  State  Archives  in  Harrisburg,  he 
has  given  his  best  judgment  on  the  location  of 
some  of  the  more  important  Indian  paths.  He 
hopes  that  other  students  of  outdoor  history  may 
find  this  work  helpful  in  building  a still  closer 
knowledge  of  our  Indian  heritage. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

For  those  who  use  the  suggested  motor  tours 
in  connection  with  the  paths,  a word  of  explana- 
tion mav  be  in  place.  The  Legislative  Route 
numbers  so  frequently  mentioned  (e.g.,  L.  R. 
36130)  refer  to  State  roads  other  than  the  main 
highways  such  as  f\  S.  30  or  Pa.  23.  Legislative 
Route  numbers  do  not  appear  on  the  ordinary 
State  road  maps.  They  are,  however,  shown  on 
county  maps  which  may  be  procured  from  the 
Department  of  Highways,  Harrisburg. 

When  out  on  the  road,  the  motorist  will  find 
the  Legislative  Route  numbers  on  small,  rec- 
tangular, white  signs  at  terminal  points  and  in- 
tersections. 

Motor  roads  mentioned  in  directions  FOR 
THE  MOTORIST  are  given  the  official  num- 
bers issued  b\  the  State  Department  of  Highways 
in  1961.  Since  the  route  numbers  are  still  in 
process  of  revision  because  of  the  new  Interstate 
Highwavs,  motorists  are  advised  to  supply  them- 
selves with  the  latest  highway  maps  and  to  be 
alert  for  changes. 

1 Quoted  in  Highways  in  Our  National  Life,  Jean 
Labatut  and  Wheaton  J.  Lane,  eds.  (Princeton,  1950), 
P-  v. 

■ Herhcrt  J.  Spinder,  ‘'The  Indian  Trail  from  the  Time 
of  the  Mayas  to  the  Colonial  Period,"  Highways  in  Our 
National  Life,  57. 

1 Stone  objects  from  the  Jasper  Quarries  near  Macungie 
and  \ era  Cruz,  Pennsylvania,  have  been  identified  by  John 
Witthoft  in  places  a s far  north  as  Cape  Anne,  Massachu- 
setts, as  far  south  as  Cape  Hatteras,  North  Carolina,  and 
as  far  west  as  Licking  County  in  central  Ohio. 

‘Anthony  F.  C.  Wallace,  "Woman,  Land,  and  Society: 
Three  Aspects  of  Aboriginal  Delaware  Life,"  Pennsylvania 
Archaeologist,  XVII  (19-17),  1-35. 


5 George  T.  Hunt,  in  The  Wars  of  the  Iroquois  (Madi- 
son, Wis.,  1940)  , 8,  puts  their  number  at  twelve  thousand: 
“Yet  after  only  thirty  years  of  intermittent  warfare  the 
Iroquois  proper  [the  Five  Nations  as  distinct  from  their 
language  kin,  the  Hurons,  Susquehannocks,  etc.],  probably 
the  least  numerous  of  the  tribes,  never  numbering  more 
than  twelve  thousand,  were  in  sole  possession  of  the  region 
east  of  Lake  Michigan.  . . See  Frederick  W.  Hodge's 
Handbook  of  American  Indians  North  of  Mexico  (Wash- 
ington, D.  C.,  1907)  , 619:  “About  the  middle  of  the  17th 
century  the  Five  Nations  were  supposed  to  have  reached 
their  highest  point,  and  in  1677  and  1685  they  were 
estimated  at  about  16,000.  In  1689  they  were  estimated  at 
about  12,850;  but  in  the  next  9 years  they  lost  more  than 
half  by  war  and  by  desertions  to  Canada,  The  most 
accurate  estimates  for  the  18th  century  gave  the  Six 
Nations  and  their  colonies  about  10,000  or  12,000  souls. 
In  1774  they  were  estimated  at  10,000  to  12,500.”  See  also 
William  N.  Fenton,  “Problems  Arising  from  the  Historic 
Northeastern  Position  of  the  Iroquois,”  Smithsonian  Mis- 
cellaneous Collections,  Vol.  100,  p.  231:  “Mooney  (1928) 
credits  the  whole  Iroquois  with  only  5,500  in  1600,  which 
Kroeber  (1939,  p.  140)  accepts,  but  considers  too  low 
(p.  133).” 

6 Carl  Carmer,  The  Susquehanna  (New  York,  1955)  , 291. 

7 Diary  of  David  McClure,  Franklin  B.  Dexter,  ed.  (New 
York,  1889)  , 49-50. 

8 Quoted  by  Joseph  H.  Bailsman,  History  of  Beaver 
County  Pennsylvania  (New  York,  1904),  I,  23,  n.  2. 

9 Alfred  Procter  James,  ed.,  Writings  of  General  John 
Forbes  Relating  to  His  Service  in  North  America 
(Menasha,  Wis.,  1938)  , 141. 

10  “Rev.  John  Ettwein’s  Notes  of  Travel  from  the  North 
Branch  of  the  Susquehanna  to  the  Beaver  River,  Penn- 
sylvania, 1772,”  John  W.  Jordan,  ed.,  The  Pennsylvania 
Magazine  of  History  and  Biography,  XXV  (1901)  , 208-209. 

11  "Journal  of  a March  from  Fort  Pitt  to  Venango— And 
from  thence  to  Presqu’Isle”:  Thomas  Hutchins  Papers, 
II,  4,  Historical  Society  of  Pennsylvania,  Philadelphia. 

12  "Rev.  John  Ettwein’s  Notes  of  Travel  . . . 1772,” 
Pennsylvania  Magazine  of  History  and  Biography,  XXV, 
208-209. 

13  “A  Journey  from  Pittsburgh  to  Le  Beauff  on  the  far 
Side  of  French  Creek,  in  which  all  Roads,  Tracts,  and 
Places  are  Truthfully  described,”  Thirty  Thousand  Miles 
with  John  Heckewelder,  Paul  A.  W.  Wallace,  ed  (Pitts- 
burgh, 1958)  , 376-77. 

14  "A  Visit  to  Cornplanter  in  1798,”  diary  of  Joshua 
Shaipless,  repiinted  from  the  Warren  Times-Mirror, 
Cornplanter  Volume,  C-5,  Pennsylvania  Historical  and 
Museum  Commission. 

w Ettwein,  op.  cit.,  217. 

August  C.  Mahr,  “Diary  of  a Moravian  Indian 
Mission  Migration  Across  Pennsylvania  in  1772,”  Ohio 
State  Archaeological  and  Historical  Quarterly,  LXII  No  3 
(July,  1953) , 268. 

11  Narrative  of  the  Mission  of  the  United  Brethren 
among  the  Delaware  and  Mohegan  Indians  . fPhila- 
delphia,  1820)  , 198-99. 

18  Philip  Vickers  Fithian:  Journal,  1775-1776,  Written 
on  the  Vi rgi n ia -Pennsylvania  Frontier  and  in  the  Army 


Around  New  York  (August  8,  1775),  Robert  Greenhalgh 
Albion  and  Leonidas  Dodson,  eds.  (Princeton,  1934)  , 70. 

19  Letter  of  January  25,  1952. 

20  T.  Kenneth  Wood,  “French  Asylum,”  Now  and  Then, 
IV  (1933-1934) , 255. 

24  Spangenberg’s  Journal,  June  10,  1745,  contained  in  the 
"Bethlehem  Diary,”  Archives  of  the  Moravian  Church, 
Bethlehem,  Pa.  This  passage  is  quoted  as  translated  by 
Dr.  William  N.  Schwarze,  late  President  of  Moravian 
College. 

22  Ibid. 

“June  11,  1758:  The  Papers  of  Henry  Bouquet,  S.  K. 
Stevens,  Donald  H.  Kent,  Autumn  L.  Leonard,  eds. 
(Harrisburg,  1951)  , II,  69,  73. 

24  Ibid.,  336. 

25  David  McClure's  Journal,  1772,  quoted  by  Joseph  H. 
Bailsman,  History  of  Beaver  County  (New  York,  1904)  , 
I,  23,  n.  2. 

29  Observations  Made  by  Mr.  John  Bartram,  In  His 
Journey  from  Pensilvania  to  Onondago  ire.  (London, 
1751)  , 71. 

27  Harlan  Hatcher,  The  Western  Reserve  (Indianapolis, 
1949) , 40,  n.  4. 

28  Pennsylvania  Magazine  of  History  and  Biography , III 
(1879)  , 63. 

29  “Diary  of  the  Brethren  John  Heckewelder  and 
Benjamin  Mortimer  on  their  journey  from  Bethlehem  in 
Pennsylvania  to  Fairfield  in  Upper  Canada  . . . 1798,” 
Thirty  Thousand  Miles  with  John  Heckewelder,  Paul 
A.  W.  Wallace,  ed.  (Pittsburgh,  1958),  351. 

30  “A  Short  Account  of  Br  John  Martin  Mack’s  & Xtian 
Frolick's  Journey  to  Wayomick  & Hallobank,”  April  20, 
1745,  Archives  of  the  Moravian  Church,  Bethlehem,  Pa. 

31  Ibid.  These  extracts  are  printed  by  permission  of  the 
Archives  Committee  of  the  Moravian  Church,  and  may 
not  be  reprinted  without  express  permission  from  them. 

32  Journal  of  the  26th  House  of  Representatives  (Har- 
risburg, 1815)  , Appendix,  34-35. 

33  “Diary  of  David  Zeisberger’s  Journey  to  the  Ohio  . . . 
1767,”  Archer  Butler  Hulbert  and  William  Nathaniel 
Schwarze,  eds.,  Ohio  Archaeological  and  Historical  Quar- 
terly, XXI,  No.  1 (January,  1912)  , 13. 

34  Thirty  Thousand  Miles  with  John  Heckewelder,  285; 
Pennsylvania  Magazine  of  History  and  Biography,  XII 
(1888)  , 174. 

33  Jesuit  Relations,  IX,  310,  n.  33. 

30  Ibid.,  LXIX,  177. 

37  See  John  W.  Griffin  and  Donald  E.  Wray,  “Bison  in 
Illinois  Archaeology,”  Illinois  Academy  of  Science  Trans- 
actions, XXXVIII  (1945)  . 

38  T.  Kenneth  Wood,  “On  the  Genesee  Road,”  Now  and 
Then,  V (1934-1935),  131:  "There  is  another  such  stretch 
of  wholly  abandoned  road,  perhaps  5 or  6 miles  long. 

. . . It  is  in  Bradford  County,  perhaps  exceeding  this 
in  wild  and  desolate  beauty,  for  it  has  a mountain  torrent 
accompanying  it  down  through  dark  and  gloomy  North- 
rup’s  Hollow.  People  are  still  living  in  there  of  the  fourth 
generation  who  speak  of  this  section  as  ‘The  Painted 


in 


Line.  I hey  refer  to  the  1 owanda  Indian  Path.'  which 
preceded  our  white  man  s road  and  which  was  found 
hy  t Me  early  whites  to  be  marked  by  a succession  of 
painted  trees." 

’“George  Henry  l.oskiel,  History  of  the  Mission  of  the 
l rated  Brethren  Among  the  Italians  in  Xorth  America 
( London,  1 794)  , 115. 

‘"Robert  Orinc's  Journal,  June  24.  1755.  in  VV'inthrop 
Sargent,  I he  History  of  an  Expedition  Against  Fort 
Du  Ouesne,  in  175 5 (Philadelphia,  1855),  311. 


Vbraham  Steiner's  Account  of  His  Journey  with 
Johann  Heckewelder  from  Bethlehem  to  Pettquotting  on 
the  Huron  River  near  Lake  Erie,  and  Return,  1789," 
Thirty  Thousand  Miles  u-ith  John  Heckewelder,  248. 

‘-Ibid.,  254.  Hits  extract  is  printed  by  permission  of 
the  \ i chives  Committee  of  the  Moravian  Church,  and 
may  not  be  reprinted  without  express  permission  from 
them. 

‘ Narrative  of  the  Captivity  of  Mrs.  Whittaker, 
Daughter  of  Sebastian  Strope,  a Revolutionary  Soldier," 
The  quarterly  Journal  of  the  X ew  York  State  Historical 
Association,  XI,  No.  3 (July,  1930),  239. 


INDIAN  PATHS 


1.  Allegheny  Path 

From  Philadelphia  to  Pittsburgh  and  Kittanning 


The  Allegheny  Path  ran  from  the  Delaware 
River  at  Philadelphia,  through  Morgantown  and 
Paxtang  (Harrisburg)  , to  various  points  on  the 
Allegheny  River. 

The  name,  Allegheny  Path,  was  sometimes 
used  also  of  paths  approaching  the  Allegheny 
from  other  places  on  the  Susquehanna  River. 

The  section  of  the  path  between  Philadelphia 
and  Harrisburg  was  used  by  Indians  and  white 
men  in  the  earliest  colonial  days.  John  T.  Faris 
in  Old  Trails  and  Roads  in  Penn’s  Land  calls  it 
“the  oldest  road  in  Pennsylvania  which  passed 
between  the  Delaware  and  the  Susquehanna.” 
It  appears  to  have  originated  on  the  high  ground 
south  of  Frankford  Creek  in  Philadelphia,  and 
to  have  taken  approximately  the  same  course  as 
the  present  Allegheny  Avenue.  It  is  interesting 
to  notice  that  the  name  “Allegheny”  turns  up 
today  at  other  places  along  this  route.  Approach- 
ing the  Schuylkill  River,  the  Allegheny  Path 
heads— as  does  Allegheny  Avenue,  one  of  a series 
of  avenues  named  for  Pennsylvania  counties— 
for  Robin  Hood’s  (or  Garrett’s)  Ford  below  the 
Falls  of  the  Schuylkill.  Today  Allegheny  Avenue, 
before  reaching  the  river,  enters  Ridge  Avenue 
and  is  absorbed  by  it.  From  the  point  of  junc- 
tion, however,  the  ford  lies  only  a few  hundred 
yards  to  the  west,  at  the  foot  of  what  is  still 
called  Ferry  Street. 

The  suggestion  that  Allegheny  Avenue  may 
have  taken  its  name  from  the  Allegheny  Path 
finds  some  corroboration  in  a survey  dated  “13 
of  May  1684”  and  entitled  “Mapp  of  Swan 
Swanson  and  his  two  Brothers  land  near  [east 
of]  ye  ffalls  of  Skeolkill  on  ye  S E side  there- 
of  ” It  shows,  as  approaching  the  river  through 

“Vacant  Indian  Feilds,”  “One  Inden  Road  to 
Netopcomb  or  ye  ffalls  of  Shoolkill.”1 

West  of  the  Schuylkill,  the  course  of  the  Alle- 
gheny Path  has  been  described  by  Margaret  B. 
Harvey:  “From  the  ford  the  road  continued,  as  it 
still  does,  through  the  now  existing  [Fairmount] 
Park  and  to  the  present  City  Avenue,  crossing 
it  but  a few  rods  distant  from  the  new  station, 
Bala,  on  the  Schuylkill  Valley  R.  R.  . . . The 


road,  with  only  a slight  change  in  its  direction, 
proceeds  past  the  place  once  marked  by  cone-like 
cedars,  and  at  a village  formerly  called  Bowman’s 
Bridge,  now  Merionville,  joins  the  old  Lancaster 
road.  The  Ford  road,  with  its  continuation,  the 
old  Lancaster  road,  is  thus  the  oldest  highway  in 
the  state,  founded  upon  the  prehistoric  Indian 
trail  from  the  Delaware  to  the  Susquehanna.”2 

On  the  coming  of  William  Penn,  the  first 
few  miles  of  this  Indian  highway  were  turned 
into  a bridle  path.  There  is  a tradition,  reported 
by  Margaret  Harvey,  “that  William  Penn  him- 
self personally  superintended  the  laying  out  of 
this  road  from  Merion  Meeting-house  to  Paoli, 
riding  on  horseback  its  entire  length.” 

There  is  some  evidence  that  the  Allegheny 
Path  crossed  the  Welsh  Mountains  not  far  from 
where  the  Pennsylvania  Turnpike  crosses  them 
today,  in  the  vicinity  of  Loag.  About  a mile  be- 
yond the  modern  village  of  Conestoga,  it  joined 
what  is  now  Pa.  23  (the  Blue  Rock  Path)  , and 
turning  west  in  another  two  miles  came  to  Mor- 
gantown. 

North  of  Morgantown  the  path  is  less  difficult 
to  trace.  The  terrain  with  its  gentle  ridges  is  a 
fair  guide  much  of  the  way,  and  so  is  the  pres- 
ence of  some  very  old  roads.  Local  tradition 
points  to  a solution  of  certain  problems,  and  the 
names  of  two  landmarks,  Alleghenyville  and 
Allegheny  Creek,  lend  support  to  other  evidence. 

For  some  miles  the  path,  passing  the  site  of 
the  mysterious  “Fingal  Castle,”  kept  to  a ridge, 
heading  northwest  for  die  Kluft  in  the  South 
Mountain  behind  Conrad  Weiser’s  home  at 
Womelsclorf.  On  its  way,  after  passing  what  is 
now  known  as  Hummels  Store,  the  Allegheny 
Path  crossed  Allegheny  Creek  at  Alleghenyville, 
an  old  town  with  a church  dated  1767.  At 
Knauers,  a mile  northwest  of  Alleghenyville, 
the  modern  road,  still  presumably  following  the 
Indian  path,  turns  west,  crossing  Muddy  Creek 
and  continuing  west  to  Reinholds.  There  it 
crosses  Little  Cocalico  Creek  and  runs  on  to 
Blainsport,  which  lies  between  Kline  Mill  and 
Laurel  Ridge  at  the  toot  of  the  South  Mountain. 


19 


20 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  1 


It  mav  seem  strange  that  the  path  should  have 
crossed  the  South  Mountain  instead  of  going 
round  it  to  Newmanstown,  as  the  modern  road 
does.  But  there  is  a strong  tradition  that  die 
Kluft  was  on  the  path. 

Evidence  that  this  is  no  romantic  fancy  is  pro- 
vided by  the  terrain  hereabouts.  The  southern 
slopes  of  the  South  Mountain  are  wet,  full  of 
springs  and  marshy  patches.  I he  region  is  known 
as  the  Upper  and  Lower  Swamp.  The  old  Union 
church  (Reformed  and  Lutheran)  at  Blainsport 
is  still  called  the  Swamp  Church.  To  traverse 
this  valley,  in  the  days  before  culverts  and  road 
metal  had  been  introduced,  as  something  to  be 
avoided  by  Indians,  who  liked,  as  the  saying 
went,  to  “keep  the  moccasins  dry.”  The  north 
side  of  the  mountain  was  drv.  So  travelers  went 
over  the  top  of  it  and  came  down  through  the 
ravine  known  as  die  Kluft  (the  cleft)  . There 
was  a spring  in  it  from  which  a stream  descended, 
but  the  banks  were  dry  and  comfortably  graded. 

On  emerging  from  die  Kluft  the  path  came  to 
a fork.  On  the  right  hand  was  the  Tulpehocken 
Path,  which  ran  north  to  meet  the  Great  War- 
riors Path  at  Shamokin  (Sunburv)  . On  the  left, 
the  Allegheny  Path  continued  its  northwest 
course  to  “The  Indian  Old  Town”  (Tulpe- 
hocken) in  the  eastern  outskirts  of  Myerstown.3 
I here  it  turned  west  and  in  about  two  miles 
crossed  I ulpehocken  Creek.  In  another  four 
miles,  following  approximately  the  course  now 
taken  by  U.  S'.  122.  it  reached  the  city  of  Lebanon 
on  Quittapahilla  (.reek.  I here  is  a local  tradition 
that  the  Indian  town  of  Quittapahilla  (shown 
on  Nicholas  Scull’s  “rough  draught  of  ye  Land 
purchased  of  Sassoonan  1732") 4 was  beside  two 
springs  on  one  of  the  head  branches  of  Quitta- 
pahilla Creek  about  a mile  south  of  Avon. 

West  of  Lebanon  the  course  of  the  path  was 
pretty  much  determined,  as  is  that  of  the  modern 
load,  by  the  natural  drainage.  It  kept  near  the 
north  bank  of  Quittapahilla  Creek  as  far  as  the 
west  end  of  Annville.  There  it  forded  the 
"Quit tie”  and  in  another  mile  and  a half  crossed 
Kill ingei  Creek.  At  Llershey  it  passed  close  by 
the  never-failing  Derry  Spring— never-failing,  that 
is,  until  tecently  an  unlucky  blast  from  a nearby 
quarry  changed  the  underground  water  channels 
and  cut  off  Dern  Spring's  supply.  Mere,  where 
the  modern  town  of  Hershey  now  rises,  the  Alle- 


gheny Path  intersected  another  Indan  path  run- 
ning south  from  Manada  Gap  to  Conewago 
Creek. 

At  the  west  end  of  Hummelstown,  it  forded 
Swatara  Creek  and  climbed  Chambers  Hill  to  the 
west.  On  the  summit,  U.  S.  -122  breaks  away,  de- 
scending into  a moist  valley  at  Rutherford,  while 
the  Allegheny  Path  continued  along  the  crest  of 
Chambers  Hill.  Passing  about  half  a mile  north 
of  Oberlin,  and  leaving  on  one  side  a steep  path 
descending  to  Steelton,  it  went  on  to  Paxtane 
and  the  well-known  ford,  a connecting  link  on 
what  was  described  in  1784  as  "the  main  road 
through  the  Continent.”5 

West  of  Harrisburg,  travelers  to  the  Allegheny 
used  any  one  of  a number  of  Indian  highways 
that  are  usually  referred  to  under  local  names, 
such  as  the  Frankstown  Path,  the  New  Path,  the 
Raystown  Path,  and  the  Kittanning  Path.  The 
one  most  favored  by  earl)  Indian  traders  was 
the  Frankstown  Path.  Today  at  Hollidaysburg 
the  street  entering  from  Frankstown  (a  few  miles 
to  the  east)  is  known  as  Allegheny  Street. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  Allegheny  Avenue  in  Philadelphia,  turn 
north  on  Ridge  Avenue.  In  about  \/2  mile  north 
of  that  road  junction,  turn  left  (west)  to  cross 
the  Falls  Bridge  into  Fairmount  Park. 

From  Fairmount  Park  the  simplest  way  to 
follow  the  path,  or  at  least  some  approximation 
to  its  course,  is  to  pick  up  Pa.  23,  follow  it  to 
City  Line  Avenue,  there  turn  west  to  meet  U.  S. 
30.  and  follow  this  latter  (the  Lincoln  Highway ) 
through  Paoli  to  Exton.  There  turn  right 
(north)  on  Pa.  100,  follow  it  to  the  Downing- 
town  Exchange  on  the  Pennsylvania  Turnpike, 
and  take  the  Turnpike  over  the  Welsh  Moun- 
tains to  Morgantown. 

Leaving  the  Turnpike  at  Morgantown,  go 
north  on  L.  II.  06089  toward  Plowville  and 
there  take  L.  R.  06082.  Follow  this  road  across 
Allegheny  Creek  and  through  Alleghenyville 
and  Knauers  to  the  Lancaster  County  line  and 
a junction  with  U.  S.  222.  Turn  left  and  follow 
222  for  about  2 miles  to  Swartsville.  There  turn 
right  (north)  on  Pa.  897  and  follow  it  through 
Reinholds  to  Blainsport.  At  the  west  end  of 
Blainsport,  leave  897  (which  follows  Cocalico 
Creek  to  its  head) , turn  right  (north)  on  L.  R. 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  1 


21 


36130,  and  follow  it  to  the  Lebanon  County  line. 
Continue  with  this  road  (which  becomes  L.  R. 
38014  in  Lebanon  County)  across  the  summit 
of  South  Mountain  and  down  through  die  Kluft 
to  a junction  with  L.  R.  38011  at  Sheridon.  Con- 
tinue on  38011  for  about  4i/2  miles  to  Pa.  501. 
Turn  right  and  stay  on  501  for  about  3 miles  to 
its  junction  with  U.  S.  422.  Take  422  left  into 
Myerstown. 

From  Myerstown  west,  U.  S.  422  on  its  way 
through  Lebanon,  Annville,  Palmyra,  and 
Hershey  to  Hummelstown  is  never  very  far  from 
the  Allegheny  Path.  At  the  west  end  of  Hum- 
melstown, now  following  322,  cross  Swatara  Creek 
and  ascend  the  long  hill  beyond  (keeping  an  eye 
left  to  see  the  mountains  known  as  the  Three 
Sisters) . On  reaching  the  summit,  make  a sharp 
turn  left  onto  L.  R.  22018,  and  follow  it  for 
about  7 miles  to  its  junction  again  with  322, 
which  you  will  now  follow  into  Harrisburg. 

The  home  of  John  Harris,  founder  of  Harris- 
burg (219  South  Front  Street,  now  headquarters 
of  the  Dauphin  County  Historical  Society)  , over- 
looks the  old  ford. 

For  the  continuation  of  the  Allegheny  Path 
west  of  Harrisburg,  see  the  Frankstown  Path, 
the  Raystown  Path,  and  the  New  Path. 

1 Warrantee  Surveys,  B 23-208  (1723):  Bureau  of  Land 
Records,  Harrisburg. 

2 “Something  about  Lower  Merion,”  Historical  Sketches 
. . . Historical  Society  of  Montgomery  County,  I (1895)  , 

152. 

3 See  survey  of  1731,  B 23-96:  Bureau  of  Land  Records, 
Harrisburg. 

4 Logan  Papers,  XI,  18:  Historical  Society  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, Philadelphia. 

5Notes  and  Queries,  Reprint,  I (1894),  441. 

Armstrong  Path 

From  Carlisle  to  Kittanning 

Named  for  Colonel  John  Armstrong,  who  in 
1756,  during  the  French  and  Indian  War,  led 
the  raid  that  destroyed  the  Delaware  Indian 
town  and  military  headquarters  of  Kittanning 
on  the  Allegheny  River.1 

See  Kittanning  Path. 

1 See  William  A.  Hunter,  “Victory  at  Kittanning,”  Penn- 
sylvania History,  XXIII,  No.  3 (July,  1956),  376-407. 


ALLEGHENY  PATH 


99 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  2 


2.  Bald  Eagle  Creek  Path 

o 

From  Lock  Ilaven  to  Frankstown 


The  path  from  the  Great  Island  (Lock  Ilaven) 
on  the  West  Branch  of  the  Susquehanna,  to 
Frankstown  (near  Hollidaysburg)  on  the  Franks- 
town Branch  of  the  Juniata,  was  part  of  a war- 
riors path  from  the  Six  Nations  country  south 
through  Bedford  and  Wills  Creek  (Cumberland, 
Md.)  into  Virginia  and  the  Carolinas.  It  was 
named  for  the  creek  on  which  the  Mu  nsec  Dela- 
ware chief,  Bald  Faglc,  had  his  village,  Bald 
Eagle’s  Nest  (Milesburg)  . 

The  path  ran  southwest  along  the  west  side  of 
Bald  Fagle  Creek  from  the  Great  Island  to  a 
point  opposite  the  Nest.  There  it  turned  south, 
crossed  the  creek,  and  went  up  through  the  gap 
in  Bald  Eagle  Mountain.  Resuming  its  southwest 
course,  it  skirted  the  eastern  slope  of  the  moun- 
tain,1 passing  the  Warriors  Mark,  and  came  to 
the  Little  Juniata  at  what  is  now  Tyrone.  It 
crossed  the  Little  Juniata  at  the  Warriors  Sleep- 
ing Place  (about  two  miles  northeast  of  Bell- 


O Philipsburg 


wood)  , passed  the  site  of  Altoona  and  Hollidays- 
burg, and  came  to  Frankstown  at  the  junction  of 
the  Frankstown  Branch  and  the  Beaver  Dam 
Branch  of  the  Juniata. 

I he  Bald  Eagle  Path  was  a link  between  two 
important  trail  complexes,  north  and  south.  At 
the  Great  Island,  paths  converged  from  different 
parts  of  the  Six  Nations  country,  the  Sinne- 


To  C 1 c or  f i 

eld  ^ C 

Tyrone 

/ •/f 

O 

lV  e 

\ "P 

A FRANKSTOWN 

To  Royifown 


mahoning  Path,  the  Pine  Creek  Path,  and  the 
Sheshequin  Path;  while  at  Frankstown  paths 
converged  from  the  Catawba  and  Cherokee 
country  to  the  south,  and  from  Kittanning, 
Chartier’s  Landing,  and  the  Forks  of  the  Ohio 
to  the  west. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

A good  way  to  follow  this  path,  with  not  much 
more  inexactness  than  to  be  sometimes  on  the 
wrong  side  of  a stream,  is  to  take  U . S.  220  from 
Lock  Haven  to  Milesburg,  Pa.  53  from  Milesburg 
to  Bellefonte,  Pa.  550  from  Bellefonte  to  Tyrone, 
U.  S.  220  again  from  Tyrone  to  Hollidaysburg, 
and  U.  S.  22  from  Hollidaysburg  to  modern 
Frankstown.  This  is  at  the  old  Frankstown  Sleep- 
ing Place  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Juniata 
nearly  opposite  the  site  of  Frank  Stevens  orig- 
inal trading  post. 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  2-3 


23 


For  a closer  following  of  the  path,  leave  U . S. 
220  about  12  or  13  miles  from  Lock  Haven,  just 
before  the  highway  crosses  Bald  Eagle  Creek,  and 
follow  local  roads  along  the  west  bank  to  Miles- 
burg.  Take  Pa.  53  as  before  to  Bellefonte  and 
there  turn  southeast  on  L.  R.  13017 , which  runs 
more  or  less  as  the  path  did  between  Buffalo 
Run  and  the  slopes  of  Bald  Eagle  Mountain, 


Follow  it  for  about  5 miles  to  L.  R.  14036  and 
continue  with  the  latter  in  the  same  direction  for 
a little  over  a mile.  Then  turn  left  and  run  to 
Pillmore,  where  you  will  turn  right  on  Pa.  550. 
From  that  point  follow  550,  220,  and  22  as 
already  indicated. 

1 See  Warrantee  Surveys  A 19-27,  B-ll,  B-30. 


3.  Bald  Eagle’s  Path 

From  Milesburg  to  Clearfield 


This  path  was  named  for  the  Munsee  Delaware 
chief,  Bald  Eagle,  who  lived  for  a time  on  Bald 
Eagle  Creek. 

There  were  several  ways  of  negotiating  the 
formidable  Allegheny  Front  between  Bald  Eagle’s 
Nest  and  Chinklacamoose.  They  are  described  in 
a letter  of  May  11,  1953,  to  the  present  writer 
from  Mr.  Vernoy  Davis  of  Philadelphia,  who 
formerly  lived  at  Philipsburg  and  was  a friend 
of  the  late  J.  A.  Bilger,  a local  hunter.  Mr.  Bilger, 
having  been  over  these  paths  in  his  youth, 
mapped  them  for  Mr.  Davis  in  1948.  The  identi- 
fication points  noted  are  from  quadrangles  of  the 
old  U.  S.  Geological  Survey  Maps  (scale 
1/62500  or  approximately  an  inch  to  the  mile)  . 
The  descriptions  are  Mr.  Davis’s. 

1.  Up  Wallace  Run 

One  path  came  up  the  Bald  Eagle  Valley  from 
Milesburg  (Bellefonte  Quadrangle)  to  Snow  Shoe 
Intersection,  Wingate  Post  Office,  turned  right 
up  Wallace  Run,  taking  the  right-hand  branch 
and  following  the  railroad  to  Rhodes  (Snow  Shoe 
Quadrangle),  then  down  Jonathan  Run,  con- 
necting with  the  Great  Shamokin  Path. 

2.  Up  Dicks  Run 

A second  path  from  Snow  Shoe  Intersection 
(Bellefonte  Quadrangle)  continued  southwest  up 
Bald  Eagle  Creek  to  Dicks  Run,  south  of  Union- 
ville,  Fleming  Post  Office.  It  turned  right  up 
Dicks  Run,  following  the  left-hand  branch  to  its 
head.  Here  the  path  branched  at  the  intersection 
of  the  peak  of  Houston  and  Rush  Township 
lines.  The  right-hand  path  went  north  along 
the  ridge,  passing  the  letter  “B”  in  the  word 
"Bear  Rocks”  (Bellefonte  Quadrangle),  along 
the  ridge  to  the  right  of  Beech  Creek,  and  on 


north  to  Snow  Shoe,  where  it  connected  with  the 
Great  Shamokin  Path. 

Coming  back  to  where  this  second  path 
branched  at  the  top  of  the  Allegheny  Ridge,  the 
left-hand  branch  turned  southwest,  following  the 
dotted  road  along  the  township  line  (Plv.lipsburg 
Quadrangle).  The  path  followed  the  general  di- 
rection of  this  road  to  the  elevation  mark  2081, 
then  turned  west,  connecting  with  another  dotted 
road  below  the  letter  “h"  in  “Rush,”  crossing 
Black  Moshannon  Creek  where  the  road  does, 
then  west,  crossing  Six  Mile  Run  at  Shields’  Dam, 
and  on  west  to  the  branches  of  Black  Bear  Run, 
north  of  Pine  Hill.  Here  Mr.  Bilger  said  the 
path  branched  again.  The  right-hand  branch 
followed  the  ridge  northwest  between  the  State 
Road  on  the  left  and  Onemile  Run  on  the  right, 
to  the  road  leading  west  into  Philipsburg.  It 
crossed  Cold  Stream  where  the  bridge  does  now, 
into  the  outskirts  of  Philipsburg,  then  turned 
northwest,  crossing  the  Moshannon  Creek.  From 
here  on,  Mr.  Bilger  was  not  sure  of  its  direction 
except  that  it  ended  at  Clearfield. 

Back  to  the  branch  at  the  head  of  Black  Bear 
Run  (Philipsburg  Quadrangle):  At  the  Y north 
of  Pine  Hill,  he  said,  the  left-hand  branch 
went  southwest  to  Klondike  School  (about  a 
mile  and  a quarter  north-northeast  of  Osceola)  . 
crossing  the  Moshannon  Creek  here  when  the 
crossing  at  Philipsburg  was  flooded. 

3.  Up  Laurel  Run 

Mr.  Davis  has  heard  it  said  that  the  present 
road  from  Port  Matilda  (Philipsburg  Quadrangle) 
up  Laurel  Run  to  Philipsburg  was  also  an 
Indian  path. 

From  Philipsburg  north  the  Bald  Eagle  Path 
followed  the  Warriors  Mark  Path  through 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  3-4 


21 

present  Wallaceton  to  the  headwaters  of  Roaring 
Run,  where  it  joined  the  Great  Shamokin  Path 
and  followed  it  to  Clearfield. 

FOR  rill  MOTORIST 

Up  Wallace  Run.  From  Milesburg  take  U.  S. 
220  to  Wingate  at  the  mouth  of  Wallace  Run. 
Furn  right  on  Pa.  53  and  follow  it  through 
Rhodes,  Snow  Shoe,  and  Moshannon  to  its  junc- 
tion with  U . S.  322.  Furn  right  on  322  and 
follow  it  to  Clearfield.  A closer  tracing  of  the 
highlands  across  which  Bald  Eagle’s  Path  ran 
(U.  S.  322  descends  into  the  narrow  valley  of 
Roaring  Run)  will  be  found  under  the  Great 
Shamokin  Path. 


Up  Dicks  Run.  From  Milesburg  follow  U.  S. 
220  up  the  Bald  Eagle  Valley  to  the  mouth  of 
Dicks  Run,  about  If/,  miles  beyond  Unionville. 
There  turn  right  (west)  on  L.  R.  14008  and 
follow  it  to  its  junction  with  Pa.  868.  It  is  impos- 
sible in  this  mountain  area  to  follow  the  Indian 
path  at  all  closely  by  modern  roads.  It  will  be 
best,  therefore,  to  continue  on  86S  to  its  junction 
with  Pa.  50-1  and  follow  the  latter  to  Philipsburg, 
where  it  runs  into  U.  S.  322.  Follow  322  to 
Clearfield. 

Up  Laurel  Run.  From  Milesburg  follow  U.  S. 
220  to  Port  Matilda.  There  turn  right  on  U.  S. 
322  and  follow  it  to  Clearfield. 


4.  Blue  Rock  Path 

From  Phoenixville  to  Washington  Boro 


The  name  “Blue  Rock"  is  a comparatively 
modern  one,  derived  from  a rot  k painted  blue  at 
a Susquehanna  River  ferry-landing  south  of 
Washington  Boro.  But  the  ford  nearby  (usable 
in  low  water)  had  been  known  from  ancient 
times  by  the  Indians.  It  connected  paths  from 
the  Schuylkill  Valley  with  the  well-known 
Monocacy  Path,  which  took  of!  for  Maryland  anti 
Virginia  from  a point  on  the  opposite  shore  of 
the  Susquehanna  River. 

There  is  little  explicit  evidence  of  Indian  use  of 
what  came  to  be  known  as  the  Blue  Rock  Road; 
but  a tradition  is  recorded  by  Martin  1 1.  Brackbill1 
that  it  was  once  an  Indian  path,  running  from 


Phoenixville  along  the  ridge  route  taken  now 
by  Pa.  23  through  Seven  Stars,  Bucktown, 
knauertown,  Warwick,  Elverson,  Morgantown, 
Churchtown,  Blue  Ball,  and  New  Holland  to 
Lancaster.  From  there,  according  to  Mr.  Brack- 
bill.  it  followed  the  Millersville  Pike  to  Millers- 
ville,  crossed  the  Little  Conestoga  about  where 
Pa.  999  does,  and  reached  the  Susquehanna  about 
halt  a mile  south  of  Washington  Boro. 

“The  Blue  Rock  Road,"  he  adds,  “which  is 
still  in  existence  and  still  very  much  in  use,  was 
one  of  the  most  important  thoroughfares  in 
Pennsylvania  in  colonial  times.”2 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  4-6 


The  Blue  Rock  Ferry,  it  should  be  added, 
“was  the  most  prominent  along  the  Susquehanna 
before  Wright’s  Ferry  was  established,  being  the 
one  used  by  the  Cartleges,  James  Patterson,  Peter 
Chartier,  and  other  Indian  traders.”3  The  Blue 
Rock  itself  is  now  submerged  by  the  waters  of 
the  Safe  Harbor  Dam. 

See  also  the  French  Creek  Path. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  Phoenixville,  follow  Pa.  23  to  Lancaster. 
There  take  Pa.  999  (the  Millersville  Pike) 
through  Millersville.  About  4 miles  beyond 
Millersville,  cross  L.  R.  36005.  In  about  another 
1/2  mile  you  will  come  to  a Y.  Take  the  left  fork, 
a township  road,  and  follow  it  to  the  river. 

1 “The  Manor  of  Conestoga,”  Lancaster  County  His- 
torical Society,  Papers,  XLII  (1938),  30. 

2 Ibid.,  23. 

3 D.  H.  Landis,  “Why  Was  Postlethwaite’s  Chosen  and 
then  Abandoned  as  the  County  Seat  of  Lancaster  County?,” 
Lancaster  County  Historical  Society,  Papers,  XII  (1908)  , 

161. 

5.  Bottom  Path 

Opposite  Sunbury  and  Northumberland 

The  Bottom  Path  lay  at  the  base  of  the  cliff 
bearing  what  is  known  locally  as  Shickellamy’s 
Face,  overlooking  the  Susquehanna  from  the 
west,  opposite  Sunbury  and  Northumberland. 
When  the  river  was  high,  travelers  from  Shanro- 
kin  (Sunbury)  ascended  the  mountain,  followed 
the  Penns  Creek  Path  along  the  summit  for 
about  two  miles,  then  turned  north  (about  where 
U.  S.  15  crosses) , and  went  down  to  meet  the 
river  at  Winfield.  The  Bottom  Path,  while  sub- 
ject to  occasional  flooding,  was  shorter  and  kept 
its  level. 

For  evidence,  see  Application  No.  3503  (New 
Purchase,  1769)  and  the  ensuing  survey  (C  74- 
119)  showing  a narrow  tract  extending  along 
the  bank  of  the  Susquehanna  for  over  a mile. 
The  warrant  reads:  “On  the  West  side  of  Sus- 
quehanna opposite  to  Fort  Augusta  to  include 
the  Bottom  Path  & Run  of  water  & part  of  the 
Mountain  from  one  Narrows  to  the  other.” 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

U.  S.  11  from  Selinsgrove  follows  the  Bottom 


25 

Path  under  the  cliff  as  far  north  as  the  bridge 
to  Northumberland.  From  that  point,  no  road 
except  the  railroad  continues  under  the  cliff. 
To  get  through  to  Lewisburg,  the  motorist  who 
has  come  this  far  will  have  to  cross  the  river  to 
Northumberland,  turn  around,  and  come  back 
to  the  traffic  circle  at  the  end  of  the  bridge  from 
Sunbury.  There  he  will  pick  up  U.  S.  15  and 
follow  it  over  the  mountain  to  Lewisburg. 

6.  Brokenstraw  Path 

From  Irvine  to  Waterford 

The  Brokenstraw  Path  was  named  for  its  east- 
ern terminus,  Buckaloons  (Irvine)  . The  name  is 
a corruption,  according  to  Merle  S.  Deardorff  of 
Warren,  of  a Delaware  word,  Paks-kalunska, 
meaning  broken  straw,  the  Faille  Coupee  of 
French  records.  Buckaloons  was  an  important 
Indian  center  at  which  paths  converged  from 
Cornplanter’s  Town,  from  Goschgoschink  (West 
Hickory)  , from  Venango  (Franklin)  , and  from 
Fort  Le  Boeuf  (Waterford) . 

The  existence  of  this  path  is  well  documented, 
but  its  exact  course  in  the  western  reaches  is  not 
known.  From  Buckaloons  it  ran  up  Broken- 
straw Creek  past  Youngsville  and  Pittsfield  to 
Corry,  Union  City,  and  Waterford.  West  of 
Waterford  the  country  was  marshy  and  difficult. 
The  path,  accordingly,  was  not  much  used  and 
its  course  has  not  been  mapped.  Walter  Jacks 
in  the  Erie  Motorist  of  August,  1945,  page  2,  sug- 
gests that  it  went  to  Edinboro  on  Edinboro  Lake, 
thence  to  Albion,  Pa.,  and  terminated  “at  the 
mouth  of  the  Cuyahoga  River  at  Cleveland.” 

John  Hockstattler,  a Swiss  settler,  was  cap- 
tured in  1755  by  a party  of  Delawares  and  Shaw- 
nees,  who  took  him  from  Berks  County  to  Fort 
Le  Boeuf  and  from  there  to  Buckaloons.  He 
escaped  in  the  spring  of  1758  and  on  examina- 
tion gave  this  brief  description  of  the  Broken- 
straw Path: 

“After  3 Days  travel  [from  Fort  Le  Boeuf]  Est 
south  Est,  I was  brought  to  Buxotons  [Bucka- 
loons] Cr[eek]  where  it  emptys  in  the  Ohio 
[Allegheny]  whe  came  to  an  Indian  Castle  wich 
lys  upon  the  Corner  of  it,  then  I was  keept 
Prisoner  all  that  time.”1 


26 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  6 


FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

lake  U.  S'.  f>  at  Irvine  (Buckaloons)  and  fol- 
low it  through  Youngsville,  Pittsfield,  Corry,  and 


Union  City  to  Waterford  (Fort  Le  Boeuf)  . 

1 Wilderness  Chronicles  of  Xorlhwestern  Pennsylvania, 
Sylvester  K.  Stevens  and  Donald  H.  Kent,  eds.  (Harris- 
burg, 19-11) , 120. 


Bullock  Path 

A name  sometimes  given  to  the  Goschgoschink 
(Cushcheating)  Path,  north  from  the  forks  of 
the  Big  and  Little  Mahoning  creeks.  See  the 
History  of  Indiana  County,  Pennsylvania  (New- 
ark, Ohio,  1880)  , 250. 

Byerly’s  Path 

From  West  Newton  to  New  Kensington 

I he  name  Byerly’s  Path  was  sometimes  given 
to  the  Sewit  kley  Old  Town  Path  because  it 
passed  Andrew  Byerly’s  hu  m and  trading  post  on 
Bushy  Run  at  the  intersection  of  the  Raystown 
Path,  where  Harrison  City  is  today. 

During  Pontiac’s  War,  Byerly  was  driven  from 
his  home.  On  August  1,  1763,  he  was  with  the 
advance  guard  of  the  army  moving  west  under 
Colonel  Henry  Bouquet  to  relieve  Pittsburgh. 
As  they  approached  Bushy  Run,  the  guard  was 
almost  wiped  out  by  the  Indians,  but  Byerly 
and  six  others  escaped  and  reached  the  main 
army.  I hat  was  the  beginning  of  the  Battle 
of  Bushy  Run. 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  7 


27 


7.  Catawba  Path 

From  Olean,  N.  Y.,  to  the  Carolinas 

The  Catawba  Path,  which  ran  from  Ichsua 
(Olean) , N.  Y.,  on  the  upper  Allegheny, 
through  Indiana  and  Uniontown,  Pa.,  to  Morgan- 
town, W.  Va.,  and  so  on  to  the  Carolinas,  Ken- 
tucky, and  Tennessee,  was  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant Indian  highways  in  North  America.  It 
was  known  by  many  names  as  it  passed  through 
Pennsylvania:  the  Great  Catawba  War  Path,  the 
Iroquois  Path,  the  Iroquois  Main  Road,  the 
Cherokee  Path,  the  Tennessee  Path.  With  the 
connections  it  had  at  each  end,  it  extended  from 
Canada  to  Florida  and  west  into  the  Mississippi 
Valley.  It  was  used  by  Iroquois  agents  keeping 
an  eye  on  the  international  scene.  It  was  used 
also  at  times  by  war  parties  of  the  Iroquois 
and  of  the  Catawbas  or  Cherokees,  each  striking 
at  its  hereditary  enemies,  north  or  south. 

The  exact  course  of  this  path  is  not  every- 
where easy  to  trace,  because  in  early  days  it  was 
not  much  used  by  white  men.  Travelers  usually 
noted  its  presence  only  where  it  intersected  the 
better-known  east-west  traders  paths.  The  out- 
line that  follows  is  based  on  evidence  from  many 
sources  and  of  different  kinds:  early  maps,  war- 
rants and  surveys,  travelers’  reports,  local  tradi- 
tion, etc. 

After  crossing  the  Allegheny  River  at  Ichsua 
(Olean) , the  Catawba  Path  wound  a way  south- 
west over  high  ridges  past  the  present  towns  of 
Fourmile,  Rock  City,  and  Knapp  Creek,  into 
Pennsylvania.  Following  a course  that  took  it 
about  six  miles  east  of  Bradford,  it  crossed  Kinzua 
Creek  at  Tallyho  and  went  on  to  Cartwrights 
Crossing  and  East  Kane.  Passing  near  Highland 
Corners  in  Highland  Township,  it  crossed  the 
Clarion  River  at  the  mouth  of  Millstone  Creek, 
ran  south  to  Clear  Creek,  Sigel  (where  a branch 
to  Kittanning  turned  west) , and  Brookville. 

Fording  Redbank  Creek  at  Brookville,  it  con- 
tinued south  for  a few  miles  (probably  through 
Stanton  and  Worthville) , and  then  veered  a 
trifle  east  to  cross  Mahoning  Creek  at  what  is 
now  Hamilton.  Turning  south  again  to  Trade 
City,  Georgeville,  and  Kellysburg,  it  crossed 
Crooked  Creek  at  or  near  Gaibleton,  intersected 


28 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA : No.  7 


the  Kittanning-Frankstown  Path  at  Shavers 
Spring  (now  McElhaney  Spring  near  the  In- 
diana State  College  campus  in  the  town  of 
Indiana)  , passed  through  Peholand’s  Town 
(Horner)  , crossed  Black  Lick  Creek  at  what  is 
now  Palmerton,  veered  east  to  ford  the  Cone- 
maugh  River  near  Squirrel  Hill1  (at  New 
Florence)  , and  resumed  its  southwestern  course. 
It  climbed  the  ridge  overlooking  the  present 
Tubmill  Reservoir,  passed  the  site  of  Old  Fort 
Palmer  (three-quarters  of  a mile  north  of  Fort 
Palmer  Presbyterian  Church  on  Pa.  711)  , which 
is  not  to  be  confused  with  the  town  of  Fort 
Palmer  a mile  west  of  the  church,  and  came  to 
the  Indian  town  of  Loyalhanna  (Ligonier)  , 
where  it  intersected  the  Raystown  Path. 

Fording  Loyalhanna  Creek,  it  ran  southwest 
by  way  of  Pleasant  Grove  to  Stahlstown,  and 
changed  to  a full  west  course  by  present  Acme 
and  Laurelvillc.  Keeping  on  the  highlands  that 
border  Jacobs  Creek,  it  went  on  by  Prittstown  to 
Stewart’s  Crossing  of  the  Youghiogheny  at  the 
mouth  of  Mounts  Creek  in  the  outskirts  of  Con- 
nellsville.  It  passed  through  present  Uniontown 
(approximately  by  way  of  Morgantown  Street, 
U.  S.  119)  , forded  Georges  Creek  a mile  north 
of  Outcrop,  crossed  Grassy  Run  at  Gans,  and  at 
the  mouth  of  Grassy  Run  (below  Point  Marion) 
forded  the  Cheat  River.  Entering  West  Virginia, 
it  proceeded  along  the  ridge  through  Stewarts- 
town  to  Morgantown. 

The  Kittanning  Branch  of  the  Catawba  Path, 
as  already  noted,  broke  off  at  what  is  now  Sigel 
in  Eldred  Township,  Jefferson  County.  It  passed 
through  Corsica,  Frogtown,  and  Rockville, 
crossed  Redbank  Creek  near  Leatherwood  Sta- 
tion, crossed  Mahoning  Creek  above  its  mouth, 
came  to  the  Indian  town  of  Mahoning  on  the 
Allegheny  River  south  of  the  creek  mouth,  and 
passed  on  down  to  Kittanning. 

Another  branch  of  the  path  crossed  the 
Monongahela  River  in  Redstone  Township, 
probably  at  Arcnsburg  or  East  Riverside.  1 hen, 
running  south,  it  forded  Dunkard  Creek  about 
two  miles  northeast  of  Mount  Morris  in  Greene 
County.  This  branch  of  the  Iroquois  war  path 
marked  the  western  limit  of  survey  authorized 
by  the  Iroquois  Indians  who  in  1767  accom- 
panied Mason  and  Dixon. 


CATAWBA  PATH,  CENTER 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  7 


29 


FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

To  trace  the  Catawba  Path  at  all  closely  on 
modern  roads  is,  except  in  a few  places,  impos- 
sible. But  if  you  are  content  to  have  a general 
view  of  the  mountain  terrain  crossed  by  this 
path,  a quick  and  easy  trip  may  be  had  by  fol- 
lowing these  first  directions: 

(1)  From  Olean  take  Ar.  Y.  16A,  Pn.  646,  and 
Pa.  346  to  Bradford.  At  Bradford  take  U.  S.  219 
to  Lantz  Corners,  U.  S.  6 to  Kane,  Pa.  68  to 
Marienville,  Pa.  899  to  Sigel,  Pa.  36  through 
Brookville  to  Punxsutawney,  U.  S.  119  to  Homer 
City,  Pa.  56  to  Seward,  Pa.  711  to  Donegal,  Pa.  31 
to  Laurelville,  Pa.  982  to  Connellsville,  and  U.  S. 
119  from  Connellsville  to  the  crossing  of  the 
Cheat  River  at  Point  Marion  and  so  on  to 
Morgantown. 

(2)  A closer  following  of  the  Catawba  Path, 
frequently  crossing  it  and  occasionally  tracing  it 
exactly  for  a few  miles,  may  be  had  on  this  more 
detailed  route: 

At  Olean  cross  the  Allegheny  River,  take 
N.  Y.  16A,  and  follow  it  south  over  Flatiron 
Rock  to  its  junction  with  Pa.  646.  Follow  646 
through  Rew  and  Aiken.  The  road  zigzags 
widely,  but  crosses  the  path  here  and  there. 
About  li/2  miles  beyond  Aiken,  bear  right,  cross 
the  railroad  tracks,  and  follow  them  to  meet 
L.  R.  42008.  Turn  left  (south)  on  42008,  follow 
it  to  Lafayette,  and  continue  south  on  a Forestry 
Road  to  meet  L.  R.  42005.  Turn  right,  follow 
42005  to  U.  S.  219  and  stay  with  the  latter  to 
Lantz  Corners.  There  turn  right  on  U.  S.  6 for 
East  Kane. 

Turn  left  in  East  Kane  on  a township  road  for 
the  Seneca  Spring,  an  old  landmark  on  the  Ca- 
tawba Path.  Follow  the  township  road  for  about 
li/2  miles  all  told  to  its  junction  with  L.  R.  42001, 
which,  on  crossing  from  McKean  County  into 
Elk  County  becomes  L.  R.  24006.  Follow  it  to 
Highland  Corners,  turn  right  on  Pa.  948  and 
then  left  on  a township  road  running  southwest 
to  Sackett.  There  take  the  right  fork,  a Federal 
Forest  Road,  through  Owls  Nest  to  meet  L.  R. 
24002.  Follow  the  latter  through  Hallton  to  Bell- 
town.  There  cross  the  Clarion  River  and  imme- 
diately turn  right  (west)  on  Pa.  949.  After  about 
3 miles,  Pa.  949  picks  up  the  Catawba  Path  and 
follows  it  to  Sigel.  There  the  motorist  will  leave 
949,  which  follows  the  Kittanning  branch. 


CATAWBA  PATH,  SOUTH 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  7 


30 

From  Sigel  take  Pa.  36  through  Brookville  to 
Stanton  and  McGarey.  About  half  a mile  south 
of  McGarey,  fork  right  on  L.  R.  33010  and  in 
about  a mile  fork  left  on  a township  road  headed 
for  Worthvillc.  In  Worthville  take  L.  R.  33016, 
follow  it  for  over  I miles,  and  then  fork  right  on 
L.  R.  33076.  Gross  Pa.  536  and  head  south  for 
Hamilton. 

South  of  Hamilton,  cross  the  Indiana  County 
line,  pick  up  /..  R.  32151,  and  follow  it  to  Trade 
City,  where  the  Catawba  Path  intersected  the 
Great  Shamokin  Path.  There  cross  Pa.  95-f  and 
take  Pa.  210  south  to  Georgeville.  At  Georgeville 
take  L.  li.  32081  and  follow  it  to  its  junction 
with  U.  S.  119.  Turn  right  on  119  and  follow  it 
through  the  town  of  Indiana  to  Homer  City. 
At  Homer  City  turn  left  (east)  on  Pa.  56  and 
follow'  it,  first  east  and  then  south  (the  trail  cut 
across  this  angle)  , to  Seward  on  the  Conemaugh 
River. 


From  New  Florence,  follow  Pa.  711  through 
Stahlstown  to  Donegal.  There  turn  right  on  Pa. 
31  for  Acme  and  Laurelville.  From  Laurelville 
a succession  of  legislative  routes— 26132,  26051, 
26051  (along  beside  Green  Lick  Run),  26176, 
and  26151— will  bring  you  to  U.  S.  119  again. 
Follow  119  through  Connellsville,  where  the 
Youghiogheny  is  crossed,  and  Uniontown.  About 
1 1 miles  south  of  Uniontown,  leave  Pa.  119,  bear 
left  on  L.  R.  26076.  and  follow  it  for  about  2j/o 
miles  through  Outcrop  to  Cans.  There  cross 
Grassy  Run,  continue  south  on  a township  road 
for  over  a mile,  and  turn  right  (southwest)  for 
Cheat  Haven  on  the  Maryland  border. 

'According  to  Ralph  Wagner  of  New  Florence,  Squirrel 
Hill  was  named  after  an  Indian  called  Squirrel,  who  had 
been  killed  by  white  men  on  the  suspicion  that  he  had 
committed  a murder.  He  was  buried  on  top  of  Squirrel 
Hill.  That  this  name  for  the  hill  was  an  early  one  is 
seen  in  Warrantee  Survey  C 100-185,  dated  1771:  “Situate 
on  the  old  Indian  path  leading  from  Squarrel  [sic]  Hill  to 
Ligonier.  . . .” 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  8 


31 


8.  Catawissa,  Path 

From  Catawissa  to  Sunbury 

The  Catawissa  Path  was  named  for  the  Indian 
town  of  Catawissa  (Lapachpeton’s  Town,  for- 
merly Oskohary)  situated  at  the  mouth  of  Cata- 
wissa Creek  and  beside  a ford  across  the  Susque- 
hanna River. 

From  Catawissa  the  path  went  over  the  hills  in 
a southwesterly  direction  to  Roaring  Creek, 
which  it  forded.  Turning  west,  it  crossed  first  the 
South  Branch  of  Roaring  Creek  and  then  Little 
Roaring  Creek,  and  ascended  a hill  to  what  is 
now  Union  Corner.  It  crossed  Logan  Run 
(named  for  Shickellamy’s  lame  son,  James  Lo- 
gan, whose  cabin  was  not  for  away)  1 to  Rush- 
town,  ran  a little  south  of  west  to  Kline  Grove 
where  it  crossed  Gravel  Run,  and  thence  followed 
a long  ridge  to  the  Indian  town  of  Shamokin 
(Sunbury)  . 

The  Catawissa  Path  was  sometimes  used  as  a 
short  cut  from  the  Wyoming  Valley  (in  the  vicin- 
ity of  Wilkes-Barre  and  Kingston)  to  Shamokin. 
Indian  travelers  from  the  north  and  west  turned 
south  off  the  Great  Warriors  Path  at  the  crossing 
of  Fishing  Creek,  forded  the  Susquehanna  at  the 
mouth  of  Catawissa  Creek,  and  so  entered  the 
Catawissa  Path. 

It  was  used  also  by  settlers  entering  this  area 
from  the  east:  a Presbyterian  migration  into 


Rush  Township  and  a Methodist  migration  into 
the  Augusta  area  south  of  Kline  Grove.2 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  Catawissa  take  Pa.  42  south  across  Cata- 
wissa Creek.  About  y4  mile  beyond  the  creek, 
two  roads  fan  out  to  the  west.  Take  the  second 
and  follow  it  for  over  li/2  miles  to  its  junc- 
tion with  L.  R.  19012.  Follow  19012  south  to 
Pa.  242.  Turn  right  on  242  and  follow  it  west 
until,  in  less  than  2 miles,  it  turns  sharply  south. 
There  leave  it  and  zigzag  your  way  west  as  best 
you  can  over  passable  but  criss-cross  roads  for 
about  3 miles  to  Union  Corner. 

At  Union  Corner  take  a township  road  west  to 
L.  R.  49045,  and  follow  the  latter  north  across 
Logan  Run  (the  bridge  is  about  where  the  Cata- 
wissa Path  probably  crossed  it)  to  Rushtown. 
From  Rushtown  take  L.  R.  49040,  which  for 
about  5 miles  is  never  far  from  the  path.  Near 
Kline  Grove  turn  left  (south)  on  L.  R.  49041  and 
follow  it  to  Sunbury. 

1 Northumberland  County  Warrants,  B-96  (June  8, 
1773),  Bureau  of  Land  Records,  Harrisburg:  To  George 
Ballard,  “situate  on  the  East  side  of  the  North  East  Branch 
of  Susquehanna  about  3 or  4 Miles  back  of  where 
James  Logan  now  lives  and  about  12  or  14  Miles  from 
Sunbury.  ...”  According  to  Dr.  G.  Paul  Moser  of 
Bloomsburg,  who  owns  a farm  south  of  Danville,  Logan’s 
cabin  stood  beside  the  Susquehanna  about  half  a mile 
west  of  the  mouth  of  Logan’s  Run. 

2 Charles  G.  Mettler,  "The  Catawissa  Trail,”  Northum- 
berland County  Historical  Society,  Proceedings,  XXIII 
(1960) , 25. 


CATAWISSA  PATH 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  9 


32 


From  Washington,  Pa.,  to  Pittsburgh 

The  Catfish  Path  was  named  for  an  influential 
Delaware  Indian,  Catfish  (Tingoocque)  . For- 
merly from  Kuskusky,  he  had  by  1769  or  earlier 
established  a camp  at  present  Washington. 

This  was  at  an  important  crossroad.  North 
from  Catfish,  the  path  led  through  the  present 
Canonsburg,  Bridgeville,  and  Carnegie  to  the 
Forks  of  the  Ohio  (Pittsburgh)  . South  from  Cat- 
fish, a path  ran  through  present  Braddock  (vil- 
lage) , Amity,  Ruff  Creek,  and  Wavnesburg  to 
meet  the  Warriors  Branch  at  Brandt  Summit  on 
the  border  between  Franklin  and  Wayne  town- 
ships in  Greene  County.  The  Mingo  Path,  a 
western  extension  ot  Nemacolin's  Path  (now  fol- 
lowed by  the  National  Turnpike,  U.  S.  JO)  , 
passed  through  Catfish  on  its  way  to  the  Ohio 
River. 

Rev.  David  Jones  traveled  the  Catfish  Path  in 
1772  when  he  came  east  from  Grave  Creek  and 
Wheeling.  He  wrote  in  his  diary:1  Monday,  July 
20,  "Set  out  for  Fort  Pitt.  We  had  a small  path 
called  Catfish's  road  which  led  through  the 
middle  of  the  land  between  Ohio  and  Mononga- 
hela.  . . . Wednesday,  July  22d,  came  to  fort 
Pitt.” 

FOR  I HE  MOTORIST 

From  Pittsburgh  take  U.  S.  22  west  across  the 
Monogahela  River.  Follow  it  lor  about  5 miles 
beyond  the  river  to  the  point  where  Pa.  50  turns 
off.  Go  south  on  50  to  Bridgeville,  Pa.  519 
through  Canonsburg  to  U.  S.  19,  and  19  to  Wash- 
ington. From  Washington  take  L.  R.  02131  south 
through  Braddock  to  meet  U.  S.  19.  I urn  right 
on  19  and  follow  it  through  Amity  to  Waynes- 
burg. 

‘Wm.  Hayden  English,  Conquest  of  the  Country  Worth- 
nest  of  the  River  Ohio  1778-1783  and  Life  of  George 
Rogers  Clark  (Indianapolis,  1896)  , 62. 


CATFISH  PATH 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  10-11 


33 


10.  Cattaraugus  Path 

o 

From  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  to  Salamanca,  N.  y. 

The  Cattaraugus  Path  ran  from  Buffalo  Creek 
through  Cattaraugus  to  Salamanca.  There  it 
made  connections  with  several  Pennsylvania 
paths:  west  to  Cornplanter’s  Town,  Conewango 
(Warren) , and  Venango  (Franklin)  ; east  to 
Ichsua  (Olean) , where  connections  were  made 
with  the  Catawba  Path,  the  Sinnemahoning  Path, 
and  the  Forbidden  Path. 

See  letter  from  Jacob  Taylor  to  Thomas  Stew- 
ardson,  February  3,  1 807 : 1 “Nicholas  Rosegrantz 
some  time  in  last  m"2  was  found  Dead  towards 
the  head  of  the  Little  Valley  Creek,  supposed  to 
have  perished  on  his  way  from  Cattaraugus,  his 
Horse  was  also  found  Dead  some  distance  back 
on  the  Indian  path—” 

It  is  possible  that  Etienne  Brule  used  the 
Cattaraugus  Path  in  1615  as  a roundabout  route 
to  Tioga  Point  (Athens,  Pa.)  in  order  to  escape 
observation  by  the  Iroquois,  whom  Champlain 
was  about  to  attack. 


FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  Buffalo,  take  N.  Y.  18  through  Cat- 
taraugus and  Little  Valley  to  Salamanca. 

‘Indian  Comm.  Rees.,  Box  2,  67,  American  Philosophical 
Society. 

2 I.  e.,  in  December.  The  letter  is  a short  journal,  this 
item  dating  apparently  from  January  16.  Note  by  Donald 
H.  Kent. 


11.  Cayahaga  Path 

From  Franklin,  Pa.,  to  Akron,  Ohio 


The  Cayahaga  Path  was  named  for  the  Caya- 
haga region,  which  included  the  mouth  of  the 
Cuyahoga  River  (Cleveland)  and  several  In- 
dian settlements  above  it. 

From  Venango  (Franklin)  the  path  ran  past 
Pymatuning  Indian  Town  and  the  Salt  Spring 
(Niles,  Ohio)  to  Mahoning  Indian  Town  (New- 
ton Falls) . Thence  it  followed  the  same  route 
as  the  Mahoning  Path  ( q.v .)  to  Cayahaga  and 
on  to  Lower  Sandusky  and  Detroit. 

There  may  have  been  several  ways  of  getting 
from  the  Salt  Spring  to  Venango.  Thomas 
Hutchins1  described  a path  running  about  nine- 
teen miles  from  the  Salt  Spring  to  Shenango  In- 
dian Town  (in  the  vicinity  of  West  Middlesex) 
and  from  there  six  miles  to  “the  partings  of  the 
Venango  Road.”  Three  more  miles  brought  the 
one  fork  to  Pymatuning  Town.  The  other  no 
doubt  ran  directly  to  Venango. 


John  Heckewelder,2  in  his  Map  of  the  Ohio 
Country,  showed  the  path  as  taking  a more  di- 
rect course  from  the  Salt  Spring  to  an  unnamed 
Indian  town  on  the  “Shenango  Branch”  and 
thence  to  Venango.  None  of  these  routes  has 
been  identified  in  close  detail. 

Cayahaga  was  at  one  time  an  important  Wy- 
andot and  Delaware  center.  In  1774  Wyandot 
chiefs  from  Cayahaga  visited  the  Moravian  set- 
tlement on  the  Tuscarawas  River.  Cayahaga 
was  represented  in  1777  at  the  Delawares’  Great 
Council  at  Coshocton. 

The  name  Cayahaga  Path  was  sometimes 
given  to  a section  of  the  Mahoning  Path  (q.v.) 
from  the  Kuskuskies  (New  Castle  and  vicinity) 
to  Cayahaga. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  Franklin  take  U.  S.  62  west  to  the  town 
of  Sandy  Lake.  From  there  follow  Pa.  358  for 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  11-12 


3 1 


nearh  a mile  west,  and  then  leave  it  for  a town- 
ship road  continuing  along  the  north  shore  of 
Sand)  Lake.  There  is  no  single  road  running 
from  the  west  end  of  Sandy  Lake  to  the  site  of 
the  Indian  town  of  Pymatuning;  but,  if  the 
motorist  after  rounding  the  end  of  the  lake 
heads  for  Fairview,  Fredonia,  Big  Bend,  and 
C Hark,  he  will  not  pass  far  from  Pymatuning, 
which  is  now  flooded  by  the  Shenango  Reservoir 
about  h/a  miles  west  of  Big  Bend. 

I rom  Clark  take  Pa.  IS  south  to  West  Middle- 
sex. 1 urn  tight  on  Pa.  IIS  and  follow  it  to  the 
Ohio  line  and  Ohio  30/.  Follow  this  to  Girard 


12.  Chillisquaque  Path 

From  Northumberland  to  Comly 

Only  a few  miles  long,  the  Chillisquaque  Path 
ran  from  the  town  ol  Northumberland  over 
Montour  Ridge  to  the  County  Line  Branch  of 
Chillisquaque  Creek  in  the  vicinity  of  Comly. 

Evidence  for  this  path  is  found  in  local  tradi- 
tion and  in  the  presence  of  a very  early  road,  as 
shown  on  Reading  Howell’s  map  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, 1792.  I hat  this  highway  had  long  been  a 
familiar  landmark  is  seen  in  the  fact  that  on 
Melish's  map  of  Pennsylvania,  1822,  it  is  shown 
as  marking  the  boundary  between  Northumber- 
land and  Columbia  counties.  It  now  marks  the 
boundary  between  Northumberland  and  Mon- 


and go  on  to  pick  up  the  course  of  the  Indian 
path  at  Niles.  From  Niles  go  west  on  unim- 
proved roads  through  Lordstown  and  Newton 
Falls  to  meet  Ohio  5.  Follow  this  last  through 
Kent  to  Akron. 

: A diagrammatic  representation  of  this  path  as  far  west 
as  the  Salt  Spring  is  in  the?  Hutchins  Papers,  I.  45,  Histori- 
cal Society  of  Pennsylvania.  Connections  are  shown  with 
Kusknskics  b\  way  of  the  valley  of  the  Shenango  River. 
The  mileages  in  Hutchins'  itinerary  (ibid.),  which  is 
printed  in  Charles  Hanna's  The  Wilderness  Trail  (N.  Y., 
1911),  indicate  a crossing  of  the  Shenango  River  at 
present  Greenville.  His  map,  on  the  other  hand,  shows 
a regular  crossing  just  east  of  Pymatuning  Indian  Town. 

Paul  A.  \V  Wallace.  Thirty  Thousand  Miles  with  John 
Heckewelder  (Pittsburgh,  1958)  , end  map. 


tour  counties.  A modern  highway,  following  the 
same  course,  joins  what  used  to  be  the  Muncy- 
Mahoning  Path  near  the  village  of  Comly  in  An- 
thonv  Township,  Montour  County. 

Charles  Fisher  Snyder  of  Sunbury,  in  his 
excellent  catalogue  of  local  Indian  paths,  calls 
this  “The  Hunter’s  Path,”  notes  that  it  was  re- 
ferred to  in  early  records  as  the  “Strawbridge 
Road,”  and  adds:  “Nothing  of  importance  is 
associated  with  this  path,  as  far  as  I can  learn, 
except  that  by  horse,  or  afoot,  it  was  a short  cut 
into  that  region  lying  between  the  forks  of  the 
North  and  West  branches  of  the  Susquehanna.”1 

The  name  Chillisquaque  Path  was  also  used 
for  the  Muncy-Mahoning  Path,  which  crossed  the 
valley  of  Chillisquaque  Creek  in  the  vicinity  of 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  12-13 


35 


Washingtonville,  north  of  Danville,  Montour 
County. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  Northumberland  (opposite  Sunbury) 
follow  L.  R.  49031  north  over  Montour  Moun- 
tain. As  the  road  approaches  Chillisquaque 
Creek,  it  breaks  off  and  you  must  make  a half- 
mile  detour  to  the  east.  Rearing  left  as  soon  as 
possible,  you  will  in  another  mile  or  so  cross  the 
creek  and  immediately  turn  north.  After  cross- 
ing Limestone  Ridge,  continue  in  a north-north- 
east direction  along  the  county  line  to  Schuyler 
and  north  again  to  Comly. 

1 "The  Great  Shamokin  Path  and  Other  Indian  Trails 
Which  Radiated  from  the  Forks  of  the  Susquehanna,” 
Northumberland  County  Historical  Society,  Proceedings, 
XIV  (1944) , 33-34. 


CHILLISQUAQUE  PATH 


13.  Conemaugh  Path 

From  Bedford  to  Johnstown 

The  Conemaugh  Path  was  named  for  the  Dela- 
ware Indian  town  of  Conemaugh,  sometimes 
known  as  Kickey  Husten’s  Town,  situated  at  the 
junction  of  the  Conemaugh  River  with  Stony 
Creek. 

From  Raystown  the  path  ran  north  on  the 
east  side  of  the  Juniata.  Passing  Cessna  and 
Reynoldsville  (at  the  Big  Fork  of  Dunning 
Creek)  , it  surmounted  the  Allegheny  Front  by 
approximately  the  same  route  as  that  taken  by 
the  old  road  described  below.  Then  it  ran 
through  present  Elton  and  Geistown  to  Cone- 
maugh (Johnstown)  . 

See  also  the  Franlistown-Conemaugh  Path. 
FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

For  a quick  view  of  the  mountain  problem  the 
Indian  path  had  before  it,  take  U.  S.  220  north 
from  Bedford  to  the  outskirts  ol  Cessna,  fork  left 
on  Pa.  36,  and  follow  it  to  Johnstown.  This  mod- 
ern highway,  however,  avoiding  the  steep  grades 
by  which  the  Conemaugh  Path  ascended  the 
mountain,  takes  instead  a roundabout  course, 
longer  by  several  miles,  through  Windber. 

There  is  an  old  road  that  follows  the  Indian 
path  more  closely.  It  is  still  passable  in  dry 
weather.  To  follow  it,  cross  Dunning  Creek  at 
Cessna,  turn  left,  and  take  L.  R.  03060  to  Reyn- 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  13-15 


3f> 

oldsdalc.  There  turn  left  on  L.  R.  222A  and  fol- 
low it  for  about  3/t  mile.  Then  bear  right  (north- 
west) on  a township  road  that  runs  along  the 
bank  of  Georges  Creek.  In  about  1 1/2  miles  this 
road  begins  to  climb  a hogback  coming  down  o(f 
the  Allegheny  Mountain  which  provides  a steady, 
dry  ascent  for  about  6 miles  to  the  summit  at  an 
elevation  of  2711  feet.  Continuing  north  to  El- 
ton, the  motorist  will  there  turn  left  on  L.  II. 
11009  and  follow  it  through  Geistown  and  Dale 
to  Johnstown. 

Conestom  Path 

O 

The  name,  Conestoga  Path,  was  often  given  to 
two  Indian  paths  which  met  at  the  Indian  settle- 
ment of  Conestoga,  near  Washington  Boro  in 
Lancaster  County.  One  was  the  Great  Minquas 
Path  ( q.v .)  , which  came  from  Philadelphia  bs 
way  of  the  Gap  and  Strasburg.  The  other  was 
the  Monocacy  Path  {q.v.)  , which  came  from  the 
Monocacy  Valley  by  way  of  Frederick,  Md.,  and 
York,  Pa.  Both  paths  were  much  used  by  early 
settlers  and  traders  moving  west  or  returning  to 
the  cast. 

See  William  B.  Marye,  “The  Old  Indian 
Road,”  Maryland  Historical  Magazine,  XV,  364, 
381-82.  See  also  Anna  Dill  Gamble,  “Indians  of 
the  Lower  Susquehanna  in  the  Conewago  I ri- 
angle,"  pages  20-21:  manuscript  in  the  Historical 
Society  of  York  County. 

14.  Conestoga -Newport 
Path 

From  Washington  Boro  to  Newport,  Del. 

According  to  tradition,  this  path  followed  the 
Great  Minquas  Path  horn  Indian  settlements  at 
Conestoga,  near  Washington  Boro,  to  Gap. 
Thence  it  took  a southeasterly  course  now  fol- 
lowed by  the  Gap  and  Newport  Turnpike: 
through  Cochranvi I le,  Chatham,  Wondale,  Kao- 
lin, Hockessin.  and  Brandywine  Springs,  to 
Christina  Creek  at  Newport. 


FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  Columbia  take  Pa.  441  to  Washington 
Boro.  There  take  L.  R.  56008  and  follow  it 
through  Cresswell,  Lctort,  and  Slackwater  (the 
old  path  taking  a short  cut  between  these  two 
points)  and  on  to  a junction  with  U.  S.  222. 
Follow  222  east  for  about  1 l/2  miles  and  then  con- 
tinue east  on  Pa.  741  through  Lampeter  and 
Strasburg  to  Gap.'  From  Gap  Pa.  41  will  take 
you  south  through  Atglen  to  Hockessin  and 
Newport. 


15.  Conewago  Path 

C A 

From  Manada  Gap  to  Conewago  Creek 

There  is  a tradition  that  an  Indian  path, 
known  as  the  Conewago  Path,  ran  from  Manada 
Gap  (northeast  of  Harrisburg)  south  to  the 
headwaters  of  Conewago  Creek.  It  is  said  to  have 
passed  James  Galbraith's  plantation  (Hershey) 
and  the  spring  beside  which  Derry  Presbyterian 
Church  (organized  in  1724)  now  stands. 

The  same  name  is  also  sometimes  given  to  the 
Conov  Path  (q.v.). 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  16 


37 


16.  Conneaut  Path 

From  Conneaut , Ohio,  to  Meadville,  Pa. 


There  were  several  ways  of  getting  front  the 
Indian  village  of  Conneaut  near  Lake  Erie  to 
French  Creek.  The  most  direct  one  was  by  way 
of  Albion  and  Harmonsburg.  A map  of  the 
northern  portion  of  the  Porter-McClellan  survey 
of  Pennsylvania’s  western  boundary  in  1786’ 
shows  an  Indian  path  crossing  the  line  a mile 
and  five-eighths  south  of  Lake  Erie.  This  was 
no  doubt  the  path  that  ran  from  old  Conneaut 
to  present  Albion  and  thence  south  along  an  easy 
ridge  to  the  vicinity  of  Harmonsburg  (north  of 
Conneaut  Lake) , where  it  came  into  the  Cusse- 
wago  Path  from  Sandusky. 

It  was  probably  by  communication  over  this 
path  that  the  settlers  around  Meadville,  as  Gen- 
eral David  Mead  wrote,  “kept  up  a friendly  inter- 
course . . . with  the  Indian  Village  at  the  mouth 
of  big  Coniott  Creek  on  Lake  Erie.  . . ,”2  This 
may  have  been  the  route  taken  by  the  Indian  war 
party  that  in  1791  captured  Cornelius  Van  Horn 
and  Thomas  Ray.  On  the  other  hand  according 
to  a tradition  in  the  Van  Horn  family  the  prison- 
ers were  taken  “towards  Conneaut”  by  way  of 
Conneaut  Lake  Outlet  (now  the  town  of  Conne- 
aut Lake)  which  was  south  of  the  lake.  Cornelius 
Van  Horn  escaped  from  the  camp  at  Conneaut 
Lake  and  recrossed  the  Outlet.3 

There  is  some  evidence  that  a branch  of  this 
path  left  it  at  Albion  and  took  a southeasterly 
direction  to  Crossingville,  which  is  said  to  owe 
its  name  to  an  old  Indian  path  that  forded 
Cussewago  Creek  here  and  went  on  to  French 
Creek  opposite  Saegerstown. 

This  whole  region  was  so  plagued  with  marshes 
that  some  travelers  preferred  to  take  a more 
roundabout  route  between  Cussewago  (Mead- 
ville) and  Conneaut.  When  in  May  and  June, 
1794,  Jacob  Eyerly4  and  a party  of  Moravians 
went  from  Meadville  to  Conneaut  in  order  to 
view  their  land  on  Lake  Erie,  they  avoided  the 
direct  path  and  took  instead  the  well-beaten 
Venango  Path  to  Presque  Isle  and  from  there  the 
Lake  Shore  Path  to  Conneaut.  The  fact  that  they 
had  with  them  a pack  horse  loaded  with  supplies 
may  explain  why  they  avoided  the  soft  ground 
of  the  Conneaut  Path. 


FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

No  modern  roads  follow  this  path  or  its  vari- 
ants with  any  exactitude.  But  a fair  view  may  be 
had  of  its  terrain  if  you  take  U.  S.  20  east  from 
Conneaut  and,  about  1 i/4  miles  past  the  Penn- 
sylvania line,  veer  right  for  West  Springfield. 
From  West  Springfield  bear  right  on  U.  S.  6 N 
and  follow  it  through  Cherry  Elill  and  Runyons 
Corners  to  Albion.  There  turn  right  (south)  on 
Pa.  18  and  follow  it  through  Springboro  and 
Conneaut ville  to  Harmonsburg.  Turn  left  (east) 
on  L.  R.  20046  and  follow  it  through  Beatty  Cor- 
ners to  its  junction  with  Pa.  102.  Follow  102 
through  Fredericksburg  and  across  French  Creek 
into  Meadville. 

1 Division  of  Public  Records,  Pennsylvania  Historical 
and  Museum  Commission,  Harrisburg. 

2 John  Earle  Reynolds,  In  French  Creek  Valley  (Mead- 
ville, 1938)  , 32. 

3 The  full  story  of  the  capture  and  escape  of  Cornelius 
Van  Horn  is  told  in  the  History  of  Crawford  County 
(Chicago,  1885)  , 182  ff.  See  also  W.  J.  McKnight,  Pioneer 
Outline  History  of  Northwestern  Pennsylvania  (Phila- 
delphia, 1905)  , 463. 

4 Paul  A.  W.  Wallace,  ed.,  “Jacob  Eyerly’s  Journal,  1794,’’ 
Western  Pennsylvania  Historical  Magazine,  XIV,  No.  1 
(March,  1962)  , 5-23. 


:;8 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  17 


CONOY  PATH 


17.  Conoy  Path 

From  Bainbridge  to  Carlisle 


The  Conoy  Path  was  named  for  a band  of 
Conoy  Indians  who  lived  from  about  1718  to 
17431  at  Conoy  Town  at  the  mouth  of  Conoy 
Creek.  Peter  Bezaillon,  Indian  trader,  was 
granted  seven  hundred  acres  of  land  here  in  1719. 
His  trading  post  at  Conoy  Town  (Bainbridge) 
became  the  western  terminus  of  his  pack  trail, 
Old  Peter’s  Road. 

From  Conoy  Town  the  path  ran  up  the  east 
bank  of  the  Susquehanna  to  a lord  below  Cone- 
wago  Falls.  After  crossing  the  river  to  York 
Haven,  the  path  ran  west  through  what  is  now 
Newberrvtown  to  Yellow  Breeches  Creek,  which 
it  forded  about  halt  a mile  west  of  the  turn  in 
the  creek  at  Lisburn.  Proceeding  via  present 
Bowmansdale  and  Salem  Church,  it  came  to  Le- 
tort's  Spring  (Carlisle).  There  it  joined  the  Alle- 
gheny Path  horn  Paxtang  (Harris's  Ferry)  and 
followed  it  to  the  Forks  of  the  Ohio  (Pitts- 
burgh) . 


It  was  sometimes  called  the  Conewago  Path 
because  it  forded  the  Susquehanna  at  Conewago 
Falls  (Conewago  meaning  “at  the  rapids’”)  oppo- 
site the  mouth  of  Conewago  Creek. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

Since  there  is  no  bridge  over  the  Susquehanna 
anywhere  near  Conoy  Town,  it  will  be  well  to 
enter  the  path  on  the  west  side  of  the  river  at 
York  Haven.  There  take  Pa.  24  and  follow  it 
through  Newberrvtown  to  a junction  with  Pa. 
1 14  about  a mile  beyond  Xavoo.  Go  left  on  114 
through  Lisburn  to  Bowmansdale.  From  there 
continue  westward  on  L.  R.  21013  past  Salem 
Church,  and  make  as  straight  a course  as  you  can 
over  these  criss-cross  modern  roads  to  Carlisle. 

1 Charles  A.  Hanna,  The  Wilderness  Trail  (New  York, 
1911),  I.  111.  170;  Pennsylvania  Colonial  Records  (Harris- 
burg. 1851),  IV,  657.  Beside  the  road  a little  east  of 
Conoy  Creek,  a bronze  marker  has  been  erected  by  the 
Lancaster  Counts  Historical  Society. 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  18 


39 


18.  Cornplanter’s  Path 

From  Cornplanter’s  Town  to  Warren 


Between  Cornplanter’s  Town  (Jenuchshadego 
or  Burnt  House)  on  the  Upper  Allegheny  and 
Conewango  (Warren)  at  the  mouth  of  Cone- 
wango  Creek,  there  were  many  paths.  Merle  H. 
Deardorff  of  Warren  has  informed  the  present 
writer:  “I  know  of  seven  early  ways  the  Indians 
used  to  get  overland  between  the  River  about 
Cornplanter  and  the  River-Creek  about  Warren. 
. . . There  were  probably  dozens  of  paths.”1 

The  path  most  frequently  used,  according  to 
Mr.  Deardorff,  ran  from  Cornplanter’s  Town 
down  the  Allegheny  River  to  the  mouth  of 
Hodge  Run.  Following  Hodge  Run  ( Dyainh - 
don,  “where  the  road  comes  down”)  to  what  is 
now  Scandia,  the  path  turned  southwest  and  ran 
along  the  summit  of  Quaker  Ridge  to  Smith  Cor- 
ners. At  that  point  the  traveler  had  a choice  of 
at  least  three  routes:  down  Glade  Run  to  meet 
the  Allegheny  a mile  or  two  above  Conewango 


Indian  Town,  down  Indian  Hollow  to  a point 
on  Conewango  Creek  opposite  the  town,  or  down 
Hatch  Run  by  comparatively  easy  grades  to  the 
flats  beside  Conewango  Creek,  where  at  one  time 
during  the  eighteenth  century  stood  a Delaware 
Indian  village.  A little  below  the  mouth  of 
Hatch  Run  travelers  forded  the  creek,  and  in 
about  two  miles  came  to  the  town  of  Conewango 
in  the  loop  of  land  formed  by  the  junction  of 
Conewango  Creek  with  the  Allegheny  River. 

There  was  also  a feasible  route  up  the  hog- 
back from  the  mouth  of  Cornplanter  Run,  keep- 
ing south  of  the  run,  to  Mack’s  Corners. 

It  is  not  unlikely  that  Daniel  Brodhead,  when 
in  August,  1779,  he  led  his  army  from  Conewango 
to  Jenuchshadego  (which  had  received  its  name, 
Burnt  House,  before  Brodhead  surprised  and 
burned  it)  , he  took  the  route  by  Hatch  Run, 
Smith  Corners,  and  Hodge  Run.  On  the  other 


CORNPLANTER'S  PATH 


in 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  18 


hand,  T.  A.  Me  Kerren  of  Salamanca,  \.  V., 
writes,  "Brodhead’s  Army  is  said  to  have  fol- 
lowed  Conewango  Creek  to  where  now  stands 
Russell,  Pa.,  and  gone  ‘over  the  hill’  into  Corn- 
planter  village.  . . 

On  May  I/,  1798,  a party  of  six  Quakers  travel- 
ing from  Conewango  to  Cornplanter’s  Town 
took  the  Matc  h Run  path,  traversing  what  Joshua 
Sharpless  described  in  lus  diar\  as  “a  rough 
mountainous  country.” 

for  a detailed  description  of  this  part  of  the 
Seneca  country,  see  William  \.  Fenton’s  "Place 
.Names  and  Related  Activities  ol  the  Cornplanter 
-Senecas,”  Pennsylvania  Archaeologist,  XVI,  No. 
2 (April,  1916),  pages  42-58. 


FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

The  best  way  to  approach  the  site  of  Corn- 
planter’s  I'own  (now  under  the  waters  of  the 
Kin/ua  Dam)  is  trom  Warren.  Take  U.  S.  6 east 
across  Conewango  Creek  and  turn  immediately 
left  (north)  on  /..  R.  61031.  Follow  this  road 
along  the  creek  lor  about  -1  miles.  Turn  right  on 
L.  R.  61049,  which  follows  Hatch  Run  to  its  head 
and  there  meets  /..  R.  61037  on  Quaker  Ridge. 
Turn  left  on  61037  and  follow  it  to  Scandia  and 
(in  another  2\\  miles)  Mack’s  Corners.  You  are 
now  at  the  head  of  Cornplanter  Run,  looking 
down  toward  the  site  ol  Cornplanter’s  Town  and 
the  sacred  spring  beside  which  Handsome  Lake, 
the  Iroquois  prophet,  received  his  visions. 

‘Letter  to  the  present  writer,  August  24,  1954. 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  19 


•11 


19.  Cornplanter-  Venango  Path 

From  Cornplantefs  Town  to  Franklin 


For  the  first  section  of  this  path  (crossing  the 
mountain  to  Warren)  , see  Cornplanter’ s Path. 
From  Warren  the  Cornplanter-Venango  Path  ran 
down  the  north  bank  of  the  Allegheny  River  to 
Buckaloons  (Irvine)  . Thence  it  followed  the 
north  bank  of  Brokenstraw  Creek  past  Youngs- 
ville  and  Pittsfield.  About  two  or  three  miles 
beyond  Pittsfield  it  turned  southwest,  crossed 
Brokenstraw  Creek,  and  followed  a ridge  to  the 
oil  spring  (now  Drake  Well  Park)  near  Titus- 
ville. Another  ridge  carried  it  to  the  crossing  of 
French  Creek  at  Venango  (Franklin) . 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

The  section  of  the  road  between 
Quaker  Ridge  and  Warren  is  described 
under  Cornplanter’s  Path.  From  Warren 
take  U.  S.  6 through  Irvine  and  Youngs- 
ville  to  Pittsfield.  There  cross  Broken- 


straw creek  and  take  L.  R.  61013  west  for  2\/o 
miles  along  the  south  bank.  Turn  left  (south) 
on  L.  R.  61010,  and  follow  it  for  about  4 miles. 
Then  cross  L.  R.  61011  and  continue  on  a town- 
ship road  for  another  2i/2  miles.  Here  this  road 
ends.  Turn  right  (north)  on  Pa.  127 . In  a little 
over  a mile,  turn  left  (southwest)  on  Pa.  21  and 
stay  with  it  to  Titusville. 

The  old  path  saved  time  by  cutting  across  the 
base  of  the  triangle  made  by  Pa.  21  in  passing 


CORNPLANTER-VENANGO  PATH 

south  from  Grand  Valley  to  Pleasantville  and 
northwest  to  East  Titusville;  but,  from  East 
Titusville  on,  the  old  and  new  roads  are  together. 

In  Titusville  take  Pa.  8 south  to  Cherrytree. 
About  i/2  mile  beyond  Cherrytree,  veer  right  on 
Pa.  Ill  (the  Dempsey  town  Road)  and  follow  it 
to  Franklin. 


12 


INDIAN  PATHS  OI-  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  20 


20.  Culbertson's  Path 

Prom  Duboistown  to  Allenwood 

Culbertson's  Path  was  named  for  Andrew  Cul- 
bertson, who  settled  on  the  south  side  of  the 
West  Branch  of  the  Susquehanna  opposite  the 
mouth  of  Lycoming  Creek.  This  was  an  impor- 
tant extension  of  the  Sheshequin  Indian  Path, 
making  connections  with  the  Penns  Creek  Path, 
the  Mahanoy  Path,  and  the  Virginia  Road,  all 
on  the  way  to  the  south.  It  crossed  the  West 
Branch  by  Culbertson's  Ripples  to  Duboistown, 
ran  up  the  valley  of  Mosquito  Creek  for  about  a 
mile  and  a half,  ascended  White  Deer  Ridge, 
and  came  down  through  the  valley  of  Spring 
Creek  to  the  Susquehanna  at  Allenwood. 

Captain  James  Thompson,  who  was  captured 
by  Indians  near  Lewisburg  in  1781,  was  taken 
north  over  the  Culbertson  Path.  The  party 
reached  the  West  Branch  opposite  Lycoming 
Creek,  crossed  the  river  in  canoes,  and  “passed 
up  the  creek  on  the  Sheshequin  path,  bound  for 
Tioga  Point.’’1 

Eugene  P.  Bertin  in  “Mosquito  Valley  Chron- 
icles 1750-1950,  ”2  described  the  path  as  “follow- 
ing Mosquito  Creek.  . . . Phis  trail  later  became 
the  main  road  through  the  Valley.  . . .’’  Its  course 
through  Armstrong  Township,  Lyco  m i n g 
County,  is  shown  on  page  102  of  his  article. 
Charles  Fisher  Snyder,  in  “The  Great  Shamokin 
Path,’3  reproduces  J.  H.  McMinn’s  "Sketch 
Map’"  of  the  West  Branch  Valley  showing  Cul- 
bertson’s Path. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

No  modern  highway  crosses  North  White  Deer 
Ridge  where  Culbertson’s  Path  (tossed  it.  But 
the  problem  the  old  path  surmounted  will  be 
understood  if  the  motorist  takes  either  one  of 
the  following  two  ways  over  the  mountain: 

1.  Cross  the  bridge  to  South  Williamsport  and 
take  Pa.  554  up  Ilageman  Run  and  over  the 
ridge.  About  2i/2  miles  below  the  crest  on  the 
south  side,  turn  left  on  L.  R.  41007  and  follow  it 
for  a little  over  a mile  to  its  junction  with  L.  R. 
41004.  Follow  41004  to  its  junction  with  Pa.  44 
and  take  77  east  to  Allenwood. 

2.  Cross  the  bridge  to  South  Williamsport, 

turn  right  for  Duboistown,  and  there  turn  left  up 


Mosquito  Creek,  following  L.  R.  41015  for  about 
7 miles  to  its  junction  with  Pa.  654.  Follow  654 
south  for  2 miles  to  meet  Pa.  77.  Turn  left  (east) 
on  77  and  follow  it  over  the  ridge  and  down  the 
valley  of  Spring  Creek  into  Allenwood. 

1 J.  F Mcginness,  Otzinachson  Williamsport,  1889)  . 632. 

- Xow  and  Then.  XIII,  No.  5 (April,  1962),  99. 

3 Northumberland  County  Historical  Society,  Proceed- 
ings. XIV  (1944)  . 8-9. 


Cumberland  Path 

CUMBERLAND  ROAD 

The  name  Cumberland  Path  was  used  of  sev- 
eral highways  radiating  from  Cumberland,  Md. 
The  best  known  of  these  was  Nemacolin’s  Path 
( q.v .)  , which  ran  from  Will’s  Creek  (Cumber- 
land) to  Redstone  (Brownsville),  \fter  Fort 
Cumberland  had  been  established  at  Will’s 
Creek,  Nemacolin’s  Path  became  known  over 
most  of  its  course  as  the  Cumberland  Road  or 
Braddock's  Road.  It  is  notv  the  National  Pike, 
U.  S.  40. 

The  name  Cumberland  Path  was  also  used  of 
that  section  of  the  Warriors  Path  {q.v.)  which 
ran  from  Raystown  (Bedford)  to  Will’s  Creek. 

The  name  was  sometimes  given  to  “the  old 
Pack  Horse  path,"1  i.e.,  the  Hays  Mill  Path 
[q.v.)  between  Fort  Cumberland  and  the  Glades 
of  Stony  Creek. 

1 Bedford  County  Warrants,  0-33  (to  John  Olinger) , 
and  Survey  C 184-41,  Bureau  of  Land  Records,  Harrisburg. 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  21 


43 


21.  Cussewago  Path 

From  Pennline  to  Meadville 

Coming  east  from  the  Sandusky  and  Cayahaga 
region,  the  Cussewago  Path  entered  Pennsylvania 
about  a mile  south  of  the  town  of  Pennline  in 
Conneaut  Township,  Crawford  County.  From 
this  point  it  took  much  the  same  course  as  that 
now  followed  by  the  road  through  Linesville 
(where  the  memory  of  Indians  passing  by  is  still 
strong  in  family  tradition)  and  Harmonsburg  to 
the  Indian  town  of  Cussewago  situated  on  both 
banks  of  French  Creek  at  present  Fredericksburg 
and  Meadville.  East  of  Meadville,  the  path  took 
a course  later  followed  by  the  Old  State  Road 
(now  Pa.  77)  through  Little  Cooley,  Riceville, 
and  Blakeslee  Corners  to  the  mouth  of  Spring 
Creek  on  Brokenstraw  Creek.  Here  it  joined  the 
Brokenstraw  Path  for  Buckaloons,  Conewango, 
and  the  upper  Allegheny. 

In  early  colonial  days,  this  was  one  of  two 
main  routes  (the  other  being  the  Lake  Shore 
Path)  by  which  communication  was  maintained 
between  the  Iroquois  Confederacy  and  the  west- 
ern Indians. 

“On  the  6th  of  June,  1808,  a delegation  ot 
thirteen  Wyandots  and  Senecas  from  Sandusky 
River  passed  through  Meadville,  going  to  a coun- 
cil with  the  Seneca  nation.  They  were  bringing 
a friendly  message  from  the  Ohio  tribes,  to  allay 
any  fears  of  an  Indian  outbreak  in  that  locality. 
During  the  summer  some  twenty  or  thirty  Sen- 
ecas, from  their  reservation  on  the  Allegheny, 
went  to  Sandusky  where  a council  was  held  with 
the  western  tribes.  They  passed  through  Mead- 
ville going  and  returning.  . . ,”1 


FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  Pennline  take  U.  S.  6 to  Linesville  on  the 
Pymatuning  Reservoir.  At  the  east  end  of  town, 
fork  left  on  L.  R.  20046  and  follow  it  through 
Harmonsburg  and  Beatty  Corners  to  its  junction 
with  Pa.  102.  Turn  right  on  102  for  Fredericks- 
burg and  Meadville. 

From  Meadville  take  Pa.  77  east  through  Little 
Cooley  and  Riceville  to  Merchant  Corners.  There 
leave  77,  which  detours  through  Spartansburg, 
and  continue  east-northeast  on  township  roads 
through  Garreys  Corners  to  rejoin  77  in  about 
4 miles.  Take  77  through  West  Spring  Creek 
and  across  Brokenstraw  Creek.  Follow  the  creek 
on  77,  picking  up  Pa.  27  near  Garland  and 
U.  S.  6 again  at  Pittsfield,  to  Irvine  and  Warren 
on  the  Allegheny  River. 

1 History  of  Crawford  County,  Pennsylvania  (Chicago, 
1885)  . 152. 

David's  Path 

The  name  “David’s  Path”  was  given  by  the 
Moravian  missionaries  to  a section  of  the  Wyo- 
ming Path  that  traversed  the  Great  Swamp  south- 
east of  Wilkes-Barre.  David,  one  of  their  ad- 
herents, in  1765  piloted  a body  of  Christian  In- 
dians on  their  way  to  establish  a mission  town, 
Friedensluitten,  on  the  North  Branch  of  the  Sus- 
quehanna River.  John  Heckewelder  in  his  His- 
tory, Manners,  and  Customs  of  the  Indians  . . ., 
wrote  in  18 IS,  “This  difficult  part  of  the  road,  in 
the  swamp,  has  been  since  called  David’s  path, 
and  the  state  road  passes  through  it.”  Its  course 
may  be  seen  on  John  Melish’s  Map  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, 1822,  from  Bethlehem  and  the  Wind  Gap 
through  Stoddartsville  to  Old  Wyoming. 

For  further  detail,  see  the  Wechquetank  Path. 


INDIAN  PATHS  OI'  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  22 

22.  Delaware  River  Path 

From  Ph  ila del ph  ia 


\ continuous  path,  often  called  the  Minsi 
Path,  ran  north  lrom  the  vicinity  of  Philadelphia 
by  way  of  Bethlehem,  the  Wind  Chip,  Depuis’  (five 
miles  east  of  Stroudsburg)  , and  Minisink  Island 
(near  Milford)  , to  Matamoras,  where  it  crossed 
the  river  to  Port  Jervis.  On  the  New  York  side. 


DELAWARE  RIVER  PATH 


to  Fort  Hunter,  N . Y. 

the  Delaware  River  Path  ran  north  to  Cushetunk 
(Cochecton)  , Shehawken  (Hancock),  Cookose 
(Deposit),  and  on  up  the  Mohawk  Branch  (West 
Branch)  of  the  Delaware  to  present  Stamford. 
From  there  it  passed  over  into  the  valley  of  Scho- 
harie Creek,  which  it  descended  to  Ossernenon, 
the  Lower  Mohawk  Castle,1  where  Fort  Hunter 
came  to  be  built,  at  the  junction  of  that  creek 
with  the  Mohawk  River. 

I he  late  Frank  E.  Lichtenthaelcr  presented 
evidence  that  this  may  have  been  the  route  over 
which  the  Schoharie  Palatines  in  1723  drove  their 
cattle  while  their  goods  were  sent  down  the  Sus- 
quehanna on  rafts.  “From  Cookose,”  he  wrote, 
“the  cattle  section  followed  down  the  Delaware 
along  the  beaten  trail  used  by  the  Mohawks  as 
their  war  path  to  the  southeastern  seaboard  until 
‘pale  face’  encroachment  forced  them  westward 
to  the  Susquehanna  route.”2 

When  in  1762  John  Williamson  traveled  from 
Philadelphia  to  Cushetunk,  he  crossed  the  Dela- 
ware River  (at  a point  about  fifteen  miles,  as  he 
said,  above  Depuis’)  to  Wallpack.  From  there  he 
apparently  used  the  old  Dutch  Mine  Road  as  far 
as  what  is  now  Port  Jervis,  and  "from  Keikendalls 
travelled  in  an  Indian  path  to  Cushetunk,  wch  is 
40  miles,  a miserable  rocky  Country.”3 

See  also  the  Minsi  Path. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  Bethlehem  take  Pa.  12  through  Nazareth, 
the  Wind  Gap,  Saylorsburg,  and  Sciota  to  Sny- 
dersville.  There  keep  right  on  U.  S.  209  and  fol- 
low it  to  Stroudsburg  and  thence  along  the 
Delaware  River  through  Bushkill,  Egypt  Mills, 
and  Dingmans  Ferry'.  About  5 miles  beyond 
Dingmans  Ferry,  at  the  crossing  of  Raymond  Kill 
(where  the  Minisink  Path  begins  its  ascent  of  the 
Poconos)  is  the  promontory  known  as  Indian 
Head  overlooking  the  road  and  Minisink  Island. 
Continue  through  Milford  and  Matamoras,  and 
cross  the  Delaware  River  to  Port  Jervis,  N.  Y. 

In  Port  Jervis  turn  left  on  N.  Y.  92  and  follow 
it  through  Sparrow  Bush,  Pond  Eddy,  Minisink 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  22-23 


45 


Ford  (opposite  Lackawaxen) , to  Cochecton, 
Long  Eddy,  Hancock,  and  Deposit.  At  Deposit 
turn  right  (east)  on  N.  Y.  10  and  follow  it  up 
the  West  Branch  through  Walton  and  Delhi  to 
Stamford.  At  Stamford  turn  right  on  N.  Y.  23. 
Follow  it  for  about  3 miles  along  the  base  of 
Mount  Utsayantha,  and  then  turn  left  for  South 
Gilboa  and  Gilboa  on  Schoharie  Creek.  Turn 
left  at  Gilboa  on  TV.  Y.  30,  which  runs  down 
Schoharie  Creek  through  Middleburg  (home  of 
Pennsylvania’s  Conrad  Weiser  in  his  youth)  to 
Mineville.  There  bear  left  for  Fort  Hunter,  site 
■of  the  Lower  Mohawk  Castle. 

1 William  N.  Fenton,  "Problems  Arising  from  the  His- 
toric Northeastern  Position  of  the  Iroquois,"  Smithsonian 
Miscellaneous  Collections,  No.  100  (Washington,  D.  C., 
1940) , 203. 

2 “They  Drove  Their  Cattle  Overland,”  Historical  Re- 
view of  Berks  County,  V,  No.  4 (July,  1940) , 118. 

8 Pa.  Archives,  First  Series,  IV,  84. 


Dunlap’s  Path 

Nemacolin’s  Path  was  sometimes  called  Dun- 
lap’s Path.  Dunlap  was  the  trader  after  whom 
Dunlap  Creek  (which  empties  into  the  Monon- 
gahela  at  Brownsville)  was  named.  His  identity 
is  uncertain.  He  may  have  been  William  Dunlap, 
who  was  in  1730  described  as  “an  old  Trader” 
and  is  known  to  have  been  at  Allegheny  in  1734. 
See  Charles  A.  Hanna,  The  Wilderness  Trail,  II, 
331. 


23.  Falls  Path 

From  Philadelphia  through  Bristol  to 
Trenton,  TV.  J. 

The  Falls  Path,  named  for  its  terminus  at 
Sanckhican  or  the  Falls  of  the  Delaware,  ran  by 
way  of  Frankford,  Holmesburg,  Andalusia  (there 
crossing  Poquessing  Creek,  as  the  modern  road 
does,  just  south  of  the  mouth  of  Byberry  Creek)  ,1 
Bridgewater,  Bristol,  Tullytown,  and  the  out- 
skirts of  Levittown.  This  became  the  earliest  of 
the  white  man’s  roads  in  Bucks  County,  known 
as  the  King’s  Path  and  the  King’s  Road.2  The 
course  it  took  is  now  followed  fairly  closely  by 
U . S.  13. 


East  of  Trenton,  the  path— here  known  as  the 
Assanpink  Path— continued  through  New  Jersey 
to  Newark  Bay.  According  to  Wheaton  j.  Lane 
and  Thomas  J.  Wertenbaker  in  From  Indian 
Trail  to  Iron  Horse,3  it  “led  from  the  Falls  of  the 
Delaware,  roughly  paralleling  the  valleys  of  As- 
sanpink Creek  and  the  Millstone  River,  and  . . . 
ended  near  Elizabeth,  where  it  connected  with  a 
path  going  up  the  Hudson.”  It  “was  in  a con- 
siderable degree  the  predecessor  of  the  modern 
Route  27,  the  former  Lincoln  Highway.” 

A branch  of  the  Falls  Path,  sometimes  known 
as  the  Burlington  Path,  crossed  the  Delaware  at 
Burlington  and  ran  east  across  New  Jersey  by  way 
of  Crosswicks  Creek  and  Freehold  to  Shrewsbury 
and  Monmouth. 

William  Edmunson  traveled  the  Falls  Path  in 
about  1677.  He  came  from  the  New  Jersey  side 
“by  a small  path  that  led  to  Delaware-Falls,  and 
crossed  the  river  in  a canoe  lent  by  an  Indian.”4 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

Take  U.  S.  13  from  Philadelphia  to  Trenton. 

1 Warrantee  Survey  D 113-118,  Bureau  of  Land  Records, 
Harrisburg. 

2 George  MacReynolds,  Place  Names  in  Bucks  County, 
Pennsylvania  (Doylestown,  1942) , 346.  See  also  Old  York 
Road  Historical  Society  Bulletin,  I,  3. 

8 (Princeton,  1936)  , 16-17. 

4 Journal  of  William  Edmunson  (Dublin,  1880),  118. 


FALLS  PATH 


IN  D I AX  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  2-1 


If. 


24.  Forbidden  Path 

From  Athens  through  Canisteo  to  Olean 


1 he  path  whic  h led  from  Tioga  i Athens,  Pa.) 
through  Passigac  hkunk  (or  Secaughcung,  now 
Canisteo,  V Y.)  , to  the  Upper  Allegheny,  was 
forbidden  by  the  Seneca  Indians  to  white  men 
for  reasons  of  security.  It  traversed  the  southern 
border  of,  and  therefore  opened  a back  door 
upon,  the  country  of  the  Senecas,  who  were 
known  officially  as  the  Keepers  of  the  Western 
Door  of  the  Iroquois  Confederacy.  The  For- 
bidden Path  was  also  sometimes  known  as  the 
1’ioga  Path  because  its  eastern  terminus  was  at 
Tioga,  the  Forks,  and  because  it  ran  from  Tioga 
west  up  the  Tioga  River  (now  the  Chemung) 
as  far  as  Painted  Post. 

From  Tioga,  following  the  north  bank  of  the 
Chemung,  the  Forbidden  Path  went  past  Spanish 
Hill,  whose  bold  and  square-set  form  had  been 
molded  by  glacial  action.  It  is  a morainal  de- 
posit, though  legend  has  been  busy  with  stories 
of  its  human  origin.  The  path  crossed  the  New 
York  Stale  line,  thencelorth  to  remain  in  New 
York  for  the  greater  part  oi  its  way,  although  it 
came  back  to  Pennsylvania  on  reaching  the 
waters  of  Oswavo  Creek,  a tributary  erf  the 
Allegheny. 

It  passed  through  the  outskirts  of  Sayre  and 
Waverly  and  ran  along  the  bank  of  the  Chemung 
River,  where  in  1/79  General  Sullivan's  officers 
were  astonished  at  the  "almost  incredible"  fields 
of  corn,  beans,  and  pumpkins  they  saw.1  Ap- 
proaching Elmira,  the  path  ran  through  the  de- 


file where  Brant  and  Butler  laid  the  Chemung 
ambuscade  for  Sullivan’s  army. 

Beyond  Elmira  the  Forbidden  Path  came  to 
Cobustown  (east  of  the  Fitch  Bridge  in  West 
Elmira)  ,-  and  ran  on  through  Assinisink  (Corn- 
ing) to  Painted  Post,  where  the  path  forked.  The 
branch  to  the  north  led  up  the  Cohocton  River 
to  the  Indian  town  of  Conewago  (Avon,  N.  Y.)  ; 
that  to  the  south  bore  travelers  to  the  Allegheny. 
It  ran  up  the  Tioga  River  for  about  four  miles, 
then  turned  west  up  the  Canisteo  River  past 
Addison  at  the  mouth  ol  Tuscarora  Creek,  and 
went  through  Rathbone  and  Cameron  Mills  to 
Passigachkunk  (Canisteo) . 

At  Canisteo,  which  was  the  head  of  canoe 
navigation,  it  left  the  river,  climbed  the  hills, 
and  took  a generally  southwest  course,  keeping 
most  ol  the  time  on  the  high,  broad,  swampy 
ridges  beyond  Harisville.  Passing  a little  east  of 
Andover  and  crossing  I)\ke  Creek,  it  followed 
the  ridge  south  to  Beech  Hill  and  southwest  to 
a crossing  of  the  Genesee  River,  probably  in  the 
vicinity  of  Shongo,  which  is  about  three  miles 
northwest  of  Genesee,  Pa.  Two  miles  southwest 
of  Shongo,  it  crossed  into  Pennsylvania.  At 
Kinney  Corners  it  swung  west. 

I here  is  a local  tradition  that  a branch  of 
the  path  ran  through  Genesee  and  thence  west 
up  Irish  Settlement  Brook  to  its  head  at  what 
was  once  known  as  Dogtown,  a mile  and  a half 
directly  south  of  Kinney  Corners. 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  24 


•17 


From  Kinney  Corners  the  path  ran  west  to 
Eleven  Mile  Spring  at  the  head  of  Eleven  Mile 
Creek,  which  no  doubt  received  its  name  because 
the  spring  is  eleven  miles  by  footway  from  the 
head  of  canoe  navigation  on  Oswayo  Creek.  This 
is  the  height  of  land.  On  McGee’s  Farm,  where 
the  spring  lies,  they  will  tell  you  that  “in  the 
old  days”  there  were  two  springs  which  sent  their 
waters  in  opposite  directions:  the  one  into 

Eleven  Mile  Creek  and  so  to  the  Allegheny,  Ohio, 
and  Mississippi  rivers;  the  other  into  Redwater 
Creek  and  so  to  the  Genesee  River,  Lake  Ontario, 
and  the  St.  Lawrence. 

From  Eleven  Mile  Spring  the  path  ran  almost 
due  w;est  through  a heavy  forest  of  white  pine. 
“Here,  to  my  great  delight,”  wrote  David  Zeis- 
berger,  the  first  white  man  to  record  his  passage 
over  the  Forbidden  Path,  “I  saw'  for  the  first 
time  a pine  forest  in  America  . . . the  wildest  and 
densest  woods  imaginable.”3  The  region  is  still 
known  as  the  Pine  Barrens. 

At  Shinglehouse,  where  the  path  came  down 
off  the  hills  to  Osw'ayo  Creek  at  the  mouth  of 
Honeoye  Creek,  Zeisberger  wrote,  “It  seems  that 
here  . . . the  Indians  are  accustomed  to  make 
canoes  to  go  down  stream,  for  there  w'as  evidence 
that  both  bark  canoes  and  w?ood  canoes  had  been 
made.” 

From  Shinglehouse  the  path  continued  down 
the  north  bank  of  Osw'ayo  Creek  past  Ceres,  a 
former  Indian  camping  place,  to  the  Allegheny 
River.  Down  the  river  bank  it  went  to  Ichsua 
(Olean)  and  the  extensive  Indian  settlements 
on  the  great  bend  of  the  Allegheny,  some  of  them 


still  surviving  on  the  Seneca  Reservation,  which 
embraces  both  banks  of  the  river  in  the  vicinity 
of  Salamanca  and  Red  House. 

HISTORY  OF  THE  PATH 

There  is  some  question  wdro  was  the  first  white 
man  to  break  the  rules  and  traverse  the  For- 
bidden Path.  It  is  possible,  as  the  late  Dr 
Arthur  Parker  has  suggested,  that  it  wras  Cham 
plain’s  emissary,  Etienne  Brule.  When  Brule  in 
1615  made  his  journey  to  enlist  Indian  allies, 
possibly  a Susquehannock  community  still  resi- 
dent in  the  vicinity  of  Tioga,  for  an  attack  on 
the  Iroquois,  he  may  have  come  from  Lake  Erie 
by  the  Portage  Path  or  the  Cattaraugus  Path  to 
the  Allegheny  River  at  Salamanca  and  there 
picked  up  the  Forbidden  Path.  But  there  is  no 
unmistakable  record  of  its  use  by  a w'hite  man 
before  the  Moravian,  David  Zeisberger,  made  his 
journey  in  1767. 

Fhe  Moravians  had  previously  met  failure  on 
this  attempt.  When  Christian  Frederick  Post  in 
1760  tried  to  accompany  Teedyuscung  to  the 
Allegheny  by  this  northern  path,  he  w'as  stopped 
at  Canisteo  (Passigachkunk)  and  forbidden,  on 
pain  of  death,  to  proceed.4  But  seven  years  later 
David  Zeisberger,  intent  on  establishing  a mis- 
sion among  the  Delawares  w'ho  had  recently 
migrated  to  the  Upper  Allegheny  at  Goschgo- 
schink  (West  Hickory)  , broke  protocol,  defied 
Iroquois  protest,  and  went  through.  Meeting  a 
Seneca  chief  at  the  western  end  of  the  path,  he 
was  challenged  thus:  “.  . . how  comes  it  that 
you  travel  such  an  unfrequented  road,  which  is 
no  road  for  whites  and  on  which  no  white  man 
has  ever  come?” 


•18 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  24 


Missionary  zeal  had  moved  Zeisberger  to  break 
the  code  and  go  the  forbidden  way.  It  is  not 
surprising  that  soon  afterwards  he  wrote  in  his 
diary  that  the  .Senecas  were  “not  at  all  friendly 
to  the  cause  ol  the  Gospel,”5  and  he  found  it 
expedient  to  move  the  mission  to  more  distant 
parts,  in  particular  to  the  Muskingum  country 
in  Ohio. 

In  177!)  General  John  Sullivan  took  an  armv  to 
Tioga  on  a punitive  expedition  (following  the 
Hattie  of  Wvoming)  against  the  Senecas.  Guided 
by  an  Oneida  Indian  (the  Oneidas  having  sided 
with  the  colonies)  , he  took  the  Forbidden  Path 
up  the  Chemung  Valley,  eluded  ambush  at  the 
Narrows,  and  marched  north  from  the  site  ol 
Flmira  to  ravage  the  Seneca  country. 

FOR  IMF.  MOTORIST 

From  Athens,  go  northwest  on  L.  R.  08066. 
When,  in  about  2 miles,  it  comes  to  a fork,  take 
L.  /{.  08114  north  past  Spanish  Hill  and  across 
the  state  line  into  New  York.  At  Waverly,  turn 
left  on  A.  ).  17  and  follow  it  to  Flmira.  There 
leave  17  (which  makes  a wide  detour  through 
Plorseheads)  and  follow  17F.  along  the  river. 
About  3 miles  beyond  Big  Flats,  pick  up  17  again 
and  follow  it  through  Corning,  Painted  Post, 
(rang  Mills,  and  Erwins,  to  Addison.  There  leave 
17  and  turn  right  up  the  valley  of  Ganisteo  Creek, 
on  the  road  headed  tor  Hornell.  Follow  it 
through  Rathbone,  Cameron  Mills,  and  Adrian 
to  Canisteo. 


Fiom  this  point  to  Eleven  Mile  Spring  and 
Shinglehouse,  it  is  not  possible  to  follow  the  path 
continuously,  but  the  directions  here  given  will 
enable  one  to  see  its  general  course.  Take  the 
road  west  from  Canisteo  to  Flartsville  and  south- 
west to  Andover— by-passing  the  latter,  however, 
a short  distance  to  the  east  and  there  crossing 
A.  ).  17.  Continue  south  to  Independence,  west 
tf>  York  Corners  (where  you  will  cross  A'.  Y.  10)  , 
and  southwest  across  the  Pennsylvania  border  to 
Eleven  Mile. 

From  there  the  old  path  may  be  followed 
closely  for  about  1 miles,  but,  in  the  absence  of 
a modern  road  on  the  ridge  which  the  path  fol- 
lowed all  the  way  to  Shinglehouse,  the  motorist 
is  advised  to  continue  west  on  the  same  country 
toad  he  has  been  following  since  leaving  Eleven 
Mile.  Take  it  to  Kibbeville  and  down  Butler 
Creek  to  Honeoye,  where  he  will  turn  left  on 
L.  R.  52014  for  Shinglehouse. 

At  Shinglehouse  turn  right  on  Pa.  44  and  at 
Ceres  beai  left  on  A.  }.  //.  Follow  17  through 
Portville  at  the  mouth  of  Oswayo  Creek  and 
through  Olean  to  Salamanca,  a white  man's 
town  on  land  rented  from  the  Seneca  Nation. 

1 See  Journal  of  Major  John  Burrowcs,"  Journals  of  the 
Military  Expedition  of  Major  Cicneral  John  Sullivan 
1779  (Auburn,  X.  Y . 1887)  , I I. 

“Harry  B.  Kelsey,  "Squash-Cutter  and  the  Wolves  of 
West  Elmira,"  Chemung  Historical  Journal.  VI,  Xo.  2 
(December,  1960),  78-1. 

Journal.  July  8,  1767,  Ohio  Archaeological  and  His- 
torical Quarterly.  XXI,  Xo.  1 (January.  1912)  12-13. 

See  William  A Hunter.  John  Hass  Diary  and  Journal 
of  1760,”  Pennsylvania  Archaeologist . XXIV.  Xo.  2 
(August,  1964)  . 78  ff. 

Zeisberger  s Journal.  Ohio  Archaeological  and  His- 
torical Quarterly,  XXI,  Xo.  1 (January,  1912),  47. 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  25-26 


49 


FORT  HILL  PATH 


25.  Fort  Hill  Path 

From  Fort  Hill  to  Winding  Ridge 

What  is  now  known  as  the  Old  Fort  Hill  Road, 
which  crosses  Negro  Mountain  near  its  highest 
point,  Mount  Davis,  is  thought  to  have  been  at 
one  time  a branch  of  the  Turkeyfoot  Path. 

Fort  Hill,  dramatically  poised  on  the  south 
side  of  the  Casselman  River,  was  once  the  site 
of  palisaded  Indian  settlements.  Its  natural  bat- 
tlements overlook  the  present  station  of  Fort  Hill 
on  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad.  This  is 


four  and  one-half  miles  as  the  bird  flies  east  of 
Confluence  and  three  and  one-half  miles  north- 
west of  Winding  Ridge. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

Fort  Hill  may  be  reached  directly  from  the 
summit  of  Winding  Ridge  (see  the  Turkeyfoot 
Path)  , or  more  conveniently  by  L.  R.  55016.  The 
latter  road  provides  a short  cut,  by  way  ol  Fort 
Hill,  from  Pa.  53  near  Dumas  on  Whites  Creek 
(3  miles  southeast  of  Confluence)  to  the  same 
highway  at  Paddytown. 


26.  Frankstown  Path 

From  Harrisburg  to  Kittanning 


I he  Frankstown  Path,  which  was  often  called 
the  Allegheny  Path  or  the  Ohio  Path,  “was  by 
far  the  most  important  and  most  frequently  tra- 
velled"1 road  across  Pennsylvania’s  mountains. 
It  ran  from  Paxtang  (Harrisburg)  on  the  Sus- 
quehanna through  Frankstown  on  the  Juniata 
to  Kittanning  on  the  Allegheny.  A branch  led 
to  Chartier’s  Town  (Tarentum)  and  so  to  the 
Porks  ol  the  Ohio  (Pittsburgh) . 

In  early  colonial  days,  this  was  the  preferred 
route  of  Pennsylvania’s  Indian  traders  taking 
pack  trains  to  the  Allegheny  country.  It  was 


used  by  Conrad  Weiser  in  1748  on  his  journey  to 
Logstown.  During  the  French  and  Indian  War, 
it  was  used  by  Colonel  John  Armstrong  for  his 
attack  on  the  Delaware  Indian  base  at  Kittan- 
ning. The  Frankstown  Path  was  somewhat 
longer  than  the  Raystown  Path,  progenitor  of 
the  Pennsylvania  Road,  but  the  grades  were 
easier  and  that  was  a help  to  the  pack  horse.  Its 
western  branches— to  Chartier’s  Town  and  Kit- 
tanning—were  commonly  known  as  the  Kiski 
minetas  Path  and  the  Kittanning  Path  respec- 
tively. 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  26 


50 

The  Frankstown  Path  was  named  for  the 
trader,  Frank  Stevens,  who  had  a trading  post  at 
Frankstown,  near  I lollidaysburg,  in  Blair 
Counts.  See  Cumberland  County  Warrants,  L-40 
(February  3,  1755):  "fames  Lowry  ....  Three 
Hundred  Acres  . . . including  a meadow  on  the 
Spring  Branch  to  the  old  Indian  Town  of  the 
Shawonese  and  Delawares  called  Franks  Town 
from  Frank  Stevens  on  the  Branches  of  Juni- 
ata. . . .” 

There  were  many  variants  of  this  path,  and 
the  particular  route  used  by  any  given  party  of 
travelers  depended  on  the  season  and  on  the  load 
carried.  It  is  impossible  to  give  all  the  variants. 
I he  attempt  here  is  only  to  trace  the  best-known 
route,  with  an  occasional  glance  at  alternatives. 

From  Paxtang,  once  across  the  river  by  ford  or 
ferry,  travelers  made  their  way  to  Letort’s  Spring 
either  by  what  is  now  known  as  the  Trindle 
Spring  Road  through  Mechanicsburg  and  Hick- 
ory I’own,  or  west  from  Camp  Hill  and  then  by 
U . S.  II.  I he  latter  was  the  more  usual  route. 
Adjoining  it,  about  six  miles  west  of  the  Susciue- 
hanna,  was  George  Croghan’s  plantation  beside 
Conodoguinet  Creek,  \long  this  path  the  mod- 
ern Hogestown  and  New  Kingston  have  sprung 
up  Crossing  I.ctort  Spring  Run  at  Middlesex, 
the  path  followed  up  (he  run,  at  a distance  of  a 
few  hundred  yards,  to  Carlisle. 

1 he  alternate  route  (the  1 ) indie  Spring  Road, 
Pn.  611 ) left  the  main  path  at  Camp  Hill  and 
ran  through  Mechanicsburg  to  Trindle  Spring, 
Locust  Point,  and  Hickory  I own  to  join  the 
main  [rath  again  at  Carlisle. 

As  lar  as  Carlisle  and  lor  a few  miles  beyond 
it,  the  Frankstown  Path  was  identical  with  the 
Raystown  Path.  But  at  Mount  Rock  (or  a little 
northeast  of  it,  il  the  roads  arc  shown  correctly 
on  William  Scull’s  map  of  Pennsylvania  pub- 
lished in  1/70)  they  separated.  From  Mount 
Rock  the  Frankstown  Path  ran  west  to  cross  Big 
Spring  Creek  at  Newville  and  Green  Spring 
Creek  at  the  village  ol  Green  Spring.  Continuing 
xvc’s t , it  forded  Conodoguinet  Creek  about  two 
and  a lourth  miles  east  of  Newburg,  where  Pa. 
61/  crosses,  and  took  the  same  route  as  641  past 
Otterbcin  to  Roxburs  (b\  "fames  McCallisters 
Mill  on  the  Old  trading  Path").2 

From  the  gap  in  the  Blue  Mountain  west  of 
Roxbury— earls  known  as  Trading  Gap,  later  as 


Me  Callister’s  Gap,  and  now  as  Roxbury  Gap- 
several  courses  were  open  to  the  traveler.  Pa.  641 
runs  west  over  Timmons  Mountain  by  a spec  tac- 
ular but  stony  sidehill  that  would  have  been 
difficult  for  horses.  I he  path  shown  on  William 
Scull’s  map  of  1770  went  another  wav:  north- 
northwest  through  the  valiev  between  Kittatinny 
Mountain  and  Timmons  Mountain  to  Amber- 
son. 

At  Amberson  there  was  again  a choice  of 
routes.  Scull’s  map  of  1770  shows  the  path  as 
rounding  the  end  of  Timmons  Mountain  and 
running  southwest  down  the  valley  of  the  West 
Branch  of  Conococheague  Creek,  past  Laurel 
Grove  and  Newbridge,  to  round  Knob  Mountain 
and  swing  north  again  to  Spring  Run.  From 
there  a short  cut  ran  west  and  north  over  the 
Tuscarora  Mountain  to  Shade  Gap,  while  the 
main  path  ran  north  to  Concord  and  Waterloo, 
where  it  joined  a branc  h of  the  New  Path  (q.  v.)  . 
The  latter  had  found  a way  that  avoided  these 
double  twists  in  the  mountains. 

I he  other  path  Irom  Amberson  was  shorter. 
It  crossed  Rising  Mountain  from  Amberson  to 
Doylesburg,  and  thence  ran  north  to  join  the 
other  branch  at  Concord.  The  climb  was  steep, 
but  it  saved  about  nine  miles.  This  appears  to 
have  been  the  route  taken  b\  Conrad  Weiser  on 
his  journey  to  Logs  town  in  1718,  for  it  fits  his 
estimate  of  the  miles  as  the  other  route  does  not. 
From  Robert  Dunnings  (Mount  Rock)  , to  the 
Tuscarora  Path  the  distance,  according  to 
Weiser,  was  thirty  miles.  That  is  about  the  dis- 
tance from  Mount  Rock  by  the  route  just  de- 
scribed to  Doylesburg  in  Path  Valley.  He  trav- 
eled twetm  miles  from  the  Tuscarora  Path  at 
Doylesburg  to  the  Black  Log  Sleeping  Place. 
That  is  the  distance  by  the  roundabout  route 
from  Doylesburg  through  Concord,  Richvale, 
and  Shade  Gap  to  the  Narrows  cut  by  Blacklog 
Creek  through  Blacklog  Mountain. 

To  retrace  steps  a little,  from  Concord  the  path 
ran  through  Concord  Narrows,  turned  west  up 
the  Trough  Spring  Branch  of  Tuscarora  Creek 
to  Richvale,  and  there  again  offered  the  traveler 
a choice  of  routes.  There  was  a short,  steep  way 
over  Shade  and  Blacklog  mountains  to  Augh- 
wick  Creek  at  Shirleysburg.  A longer  (by  about 
twelve  miles)  but  much  easier  way  was  the  one 
already  described:  through  Shade  Gap,  the  Nar- 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  26 


FRANKSTOWN  PATH,  EAST 


rows  in  Blacklog  Mountain,  Orbisonia,  and  down 
the  valley  of  Aughwick  Creek. 

At  Shirleysburg,  according  to  William  Scull’s 
map  of  1770,  a northern  branch  of  the  New  Path 
came  in.  A southern  branch  had  joined  the  Old 
Frankstown  Path  in  the  vicinity  of  Blair’s  Mills. 

The  reunited  Frankstown  Path,  alter  crossing 
Aughwick  Creek  at  Shirleysburg,  ran  north  along 
the  bank  for  two  and  a half  miles  and  then  left 
it  to  pursue  a course,  still  north,  to  the  Juniata, 
the  south  bank  of  which  it  followed  to  Mount 
Union.  There  it  crossed  and  ran  along  the  north 
side  of  the  river  through  Jack’s  Narrows  (named 
for  Jack  Armstrong,  who  was  killed  here  in  1744), 
past  Kishacoquillas  to  Standing  Stone  (Hunting- 
don) . 

At  Huntingdon  the  path  forded  the  Juniata 
River  and  ran  northwest  along  a good  ridge  to 
another  ford  about  a mile  and  a half  southeast 
of  Hart’s  Log  (Alexandria) . Thence  it  ran  west 
through  Alfarata  to  Water  Street  (so  named  be- 
cause pack  trains  used  the  creek  bed  for  passage 
through  the  narrow,  steep-sided  gap  in  Tussey 
Mountain)  . Turning  southwest  at  the  village  of 
Water  Street,  the  path  (now  followed  closely  by 
U.  S.  22)  passed  Yellow  Spring  to  reach  Canoe 
Mountain,  a shoulder  of  which  it  crossed,  and 
came  down  to  near  the  mouth  of  Canoe  Creek. 
From  there  it  ran  along  a ridge  to  meet  the 


Juniata  again  at  the  mouth  of  Brush  Creek  (mod- 
ern Frankstown)  , past  Frankstown  Sleeping 
Place,  and  across  the  Juniata  to  the  original 
Frankstown,  which  was  on  the  south  side  ot  the 
Frankstown  Branch  at  the  mouth  of  Oldtown 
Run  and  opposite  the  mouth  ol  the  Beaverdam 
Branch. 

From  Frankstown  west,  the  path  is  known 
locally  as  the  Kittanning  Path.  There  is  a tradi- 
tion that  it  touched  Hollidaysburg  where  Alle- 
gheny Street  enters  the  town,  and  that  it  there 
turned  north  tor  Eldorado.  On  the  other  hand, 
Mr.  Floyd  Hoenstine  of  Hollidaysburg  believes 
the  path  did  not  touch  the  town  at  all,  but  let l 
the  Beaverdam  Branch  to  follow  Brush  Run  for 
hall  a mile  north,  and  then  turn  north-northeast 
to  forks  in  the  road  halt  a mile  south  ol  what  is 
now  Lakemont. 

In  time  of  high  water,  according  to  Mr.  Floen- 
stine,  the  path  lelt  the  Juniata  at,  or  just  before, 
Frankstown  Sleeping  Place  and  cut  over  a high 
pass  in  the  hills  to  reach  Brush  Creek  half  a mile 
above  its  mouth. 

From  the  forks  south  of  Lakemont,  one  branch 
ran  north  to  Tyrone  and  the  Great  Island.  The 
other  (the  Kittanning  Path)  ran  through  El- 
dorado, near  which  it  joined  the  traditional  route 
from  present  Hollidaysburg. 

Beyond  Eldorado  the  Kittanning  Path  bent 


INDIAN  PATHS  OP  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  26 


D 


9 


west  along  the  south  bank  of  Burgoon  Run,  and 
crossed  it  at  about  where  the  present  Altoona 
Reservoirs  stand.  Passing  under  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Railroad  where  it  begins  the  Horseshoe 
Curve  at  Kittanning  Point  (the  name  being  a 
memento  of  the  old  traders’  path)  , it  went  up 
the  valley  of  Kittanning  Run  for  a mile  and  a 
half.  Then  it  (limbed  the  ridge  between  Kittan- 
ning Run  and  Burgoon  Run,  and  crossed  from 
Blair  into  Cambria  County  in  the  vicinity  of 
I)clo/ier  Spring. 

From  its  entrance  to  Cambria  County  to  its 
exit  into  Indiana  County,  the  Kittanning  Path 
has  been  traced  meticulously  by  Mr.  Henry  M. 
Gooderham  of  Eckenrode  Mills  (near  Patton) 
and  mapped  by  him  for  the  Cambria  County  His- 
torical Society.  His  description  of  the  path,  a 
model  of  ( lose  1 oca  1 study  fortified  bv  State  Land 
Office  records,  is  reproduced  in  \ppcndix  No.  1. 

Passing  through  Burgoons  Gap,  the  path  de- 
scended to  a camping  place  known  as  "the  Clear 
Fields”  (an  Indian  clearing  three  quarters  of  a 
mile  southwest  of  Ashfield)  at  the  junction  of 
Bcaverdam  Run  with  Clearfield  Creek.  Thence 
it  ran  west  for  a mile  and  a half,  after  which  it 
took  a northwest  course  past  Chest  Springs  to 
Eckenrode  Mills.  There  traces  of  the  path  may 
still  be  seen,  just  beyond  Chest  Creek,  on  a small 
plot  of  rising  ground  which  the  Cambria  County 
Historical  Society  preserves  as  a memorial  of  old 
trading  days. 

A succession  of  gentle  ridges  brought  the  Kitt- 
anning Path  past  Hart's  Sleeping  Place  (two 


and  a half  miles  directly  west  of  Patton  and 
about  a mile  east  of  Benedict)  to  the  village  ol 
Plattsville.  There  it  swung  west  past  the  cross- 
road to  Sha/en  and  forded  the  Susquehanna  at 
the  Salt  Wells  (about  a quarter  of  a mile  north 
of  Emeigh  Run  and  a mile  and  a half  south  ol 
Cherry  Tree).  It  continued  west  to  the  Sleeping 
Place,  probably  at  modern  Beringer.  A mile  and 
a half  west  of  the  latter  it  came  to  Owen’s  Stamp- 
ing Ground  and  went  on  to  the  Forks  of  the 
Path.  Here,  on  "the  dividing  ridge  between  the 
waters  of  the  Atlantic  and  the  Mississippi,”3  the 
path  to  Venango  branched  off  to  the  northwest 
while  the  path  to  Kittanning  turned  southwest. 

Between  the  West  Branch  of  the  Susquehanna 
and  Two  Lick  Creek,  the  Kittanning  Path 
passed  through  a thick  forest  ol  white  pine. 

Passing  through  (or  slightly  east  ol)  Cookport, 
the  Kittanning  Path  folded  the  South  Branch  of 
Two  Li(k  Creek  at  the  “old  Shawanese  Cabins”'1 
(now  Shawnee  Bottom)  , about  half  a mile  above 
the  forks  of  Two  Lick,  and  ran  a mile  over  the 
hills  to  Mitchells  Mills  (Diamondville)  . Hold- 
ing to  approximately  the  same  southwest  course, 
it  came  to  Penn  Run  (formerly  Greenville) . Ac- 
(ording  to  local  tradition,  it  was  near  here,  in 
Chen  vhill  Township,  that  Conrad  Weiser  on  his 
journev  to  Logstown  in  171H  “Found  a Dead 
Man  [John  Quen]  on  the  Road  who  had  killed 
himself  by  Drinking  too  much  Whiskey;  the 
Place  being  very  stony  we  cou’d  not  dig  a Grave— 
He  smelling  very  strong  we  covered  him  with 
Stones  fc  Wood”— only  to  find  on  their  return  that 
“the  bears  had  pulled  him  out  and  left  nothing 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  26 


53 


of  him  but  a few  naked  bones  and  some  old 
rags.”5 

From  Penn  Rnn  the  path  went  nearly  west, 
and  in  about  two  and  a half  miles  passed  “ninety 
rods  south  of  the  old  Samuel  Ralston  house.”6  In 
about  six  miles  from  Penn  Run,  the  Kittanning 
Path  came  to  the  Two  Licks,  situated  on  the 
north  bank  of  the  creek  to  which  they  gave  their 
name.  Warrantee  Survey  D 58-279  (see  Appen- 
dix No.  3)  shows  them  as  being  about  a quarter 
of  a mile  east  of  the  mouth  of  Ramsey  Run.7  The 
Two  Licks  were  well-known  as  a camping  place, 
having  been,  according  to  the  same  warrantee 
survey,  “the  encamping  ground  of  Gen1  Arm- 
strong in  his  expedition  against  Kittanning.” 

There  is  a local  tradition  that  the  Indians  in 
crossing  Two  lack  Creek  had  the  choice  of  two 
fords.  According  to  Mr.  A.  P.  Hill,8  in  dry 
weather  they  forded  the  creek  where  Colonel 
Armstrong  did,  at  the  Two  Licks.  But  in  rainy 
weather,  when  the  creek  was  flooded,  they  found 
it  better  to  cross  about  two  miles  farther  down- 
stream. There  was  a shallow  all-weather  ford 
about  200  yards  below  (west  of)  the  bridge  on 
L.  R.  32036.  From  that  ford  the  path  ran  north- 
west, by-passing  Indiana,  to  the  spring  at  Moor- 
head’s Cabin  and  Moorhead’s  Fort,  the  latter 
said  to  have  been  a house  stockaded  by  Fergus 
Moorhead  in  1781.  It  was  on  MacCarthy  Run, 
two  miles  east  of  Indiana. 

The  path  that  forded  the  creek  at  the  Two 
Licks  crossed  Ramsey  Run  near  its  mouth,  ran 
beside  it  tor  a mile,  and  then  turned  northwest 
to  Shaver’s  Spring  (now  McElhaney  Spring) , 
with  its  circle  of  trees  stripped  and  painted  with 
“warriors  marks.”  All  around  it  is  now  the 
flourishing  town  of  Indiana.  The  “Indian  Oak,” 
which  is  said  to  have  been  a trail  marker,  stood 
until  recently  at  the  corner  of  Washington  and 
Sixth  streets,  directly  across  from  the  Memorial 
Park.  Leaving  the  spring,  and  passing  what  is 
now  the  campus  of  Indiana  State  College,  the 
Kittanning  Path  ran  about  two  miles  west  to  join 
the  path  from  the  lower  ford  of  Two  Lick  Creek. 

Prom  this  junction  at  “Forgy  Moorhead’s,”9 
the  path  ran  west-northwest  into  the  hills,  com- 
ing down  again  in  about  three  miles  to  cross  the 
“Canoe  Branch  of  Crooked  Creek”10  (now  Curry 
Run)  . Ascending  the  hill  west  of  Curry  Run,  it 
came  to  a fork,  the  path  co  the  left  running  to 
Kiskiminetas  (now  Vandergrift)  and  Chartier’s 


Town,  that  to  the  right— the  Kittanning  Path- 
following  the  ridge  that  runs  north  to  the  “Oak- 
chahanak  Crossing”11  of  Crooked  Creek,  half  a 
mile  east  of  Shelocta. 

Passing  by  “Tohogos  Cabins”  (Shelocta)  ,12  the 
path  ran  a mile  and  a half  to  LeTort’s  Town13 
and  there  crossed  Plumb  Creek  at  a point  a mile 
and  a quarter  southeast  of  Elderton.  From  Elder- 
ton  it  pursued  a northwest  course  over  winding 
ridges  by  Whitesburg  and  Blanket  Hill.  It 
passed  on  the  high  ground  a quarter  of  a mile 
south  of  the  present  Robert  Watterson’s  house 
and  a third  of  a mile  north  of  Ulysses  Hobaugh’s 
house  on  Rupp  Run,  and  so  on  into  Kittanning. 

The  Allegheny  River  was  fordable  at  several 
places  in  the  vicinity  of  Kittanning,  which  was 
an  important  Delaware  settlement  as  early  as 
1724. 14  An  extension  of  the  Kittanning-Franks- 
town  Path  crossed  the  Allegheny  River  here  and 
ran  west  through  Butler,  Prospect,  and  Porters- 
ville  to  Kuskusky  (New  Castle) . 

Colonel  John  Armstrong,  on  the  expedition 
of  August  and  September,  1756,  against  the  Dela- 
ware war  post  at  Kittanning,  took  his  300  men 
over  the  Frankstown-Kittanning  Path.  His  route 
west  from  Carlisle  is  identifiable  at  Fort  Shirley 
(Shirleysburg)  , “Beaver  Dams”  (Hollidaysburg), 
the  Two  Licks,  “Shaffer’s  Spring”  (Indiana)  , and 
Blanket  Hill.  He  brought  his  men  back  by  the 
same  route,  but  from  Fort  Shirley  marched  south 
to  Fort  Littleton.  For  a detailed  account  of  the 
Armstrong  expedition,  see  “Victory  at  Kittan- 
ning,” by  William  A.  Hunter.15 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

It  is  not  possible  to  follow  the  Frankstown 
Path  all  the  way  on  modern  roads,  and  there  is 
no  single  road  that  even  approximates  its  full 
course,  as  the  National  Turnpike  does  with 
Nemacolin’s  Path.  It  is  true  that  for  the  first  25 
miles  U . S.  11  follows  it  closely,  that  for  40  miles— 
Mount  Union  to  Hollidaysburg— it  is  followed 
by  U.  S.  22,  and  that  for  the  last  35  miles  U . S. 
422  is  never  far  from  it;  but,  in  between,  the  at- 
tendance of  modern  roads  on  this  ancient  path 
is  decidedly  fickle. 

One  can,  however,  obtain  a close  and  reward- 
ing view  of  the  path  and  the  mountain  barriers 
it  faced  and  overcame  by  following  (with  the 
aid  of  a little  patience  and  some  good  maps)  the 
route  here  proposed. 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  26 


54 


From  Harrisburg  take  U . S.  II  through  Carlisle 
to  Mount  Rot  k.  There  fork  right  on  L.  II.  21003 
for  Newvillc.  At  Newville  take  Pa.  611  and  fol- 
low it  through  (ween  Spring  and  Newbury  to 
Roxbury.  I here  take  Pa.  HI  and  proceed  with 
it  through  the  mountain  gaps  and  valleys  to  Am- 
berson.  Since  there  is  no  good  road  across  Rising 
Mountain  to  Doylcsburg,  it  will  be  necessary  to 
follow  the  doubling  course  of  the  path  as  marked 
on  Scull’s  map  of  1770. 

From  Amberson  continue  on  Pa.  133  down 
Conor oc  hcague  Creek  and  round  the  base  of 
Knob  Mountain  to  Spring  Run.  There  take  Pa. 
73  through  Doylcsburg  and  Concord  to  the  Con- 
cord Narrows.  I luce  quarters  of  a mile  beyond 
the  Narrows,  fork  left  on  I..  R.  3/031  for  Blairs 
Mills.  I here  turn  south  on  Pa.  193  for  Richvale. 
At  Richvale  turn  left  (south)  on  Pa.  33  and  fol- 
low it  lor  a little  over  8 miles  to  the  junction  with 
U.  S'.  3 22.  Turn  right  on  522  and  follow  it 
through  Shade  Gap,  Blacking  Gap,  Orbisonia, 
and  Shirlcysburg  to  Mount  Union.  There  cross 
the  Juniata  Rise  r and  turn  left  on  U.  S'.  22.  From 
Mount  l nion  follow  U.  S.  22  through  Whiter 
Street  and  Canoe  Creek  to  Frankstown.  Continue 
on  l . S.  22  to  f lollidaysburg. 

Ovea  the  Mlegheny  Mountain,  between  Holli- 
duysburg  and  Chest  Springs,  there  are  no  modern 
mads  that  follow  the  old  path  at  all  closely.  The 
motorist  is  advised  to  continue  on  U . S.  22 
through  1 lollidaysburg  to  Duncansville,  there 
turn  north  to  Wtoona.  and  in  the  outskirts  of 
the  city  turn  west  on  /..  II.  0/023  for  Kittanning 
Point.  Follow  07023  up  under  the  Pennsylvania 
Railroads  Horseshoe  Curve  and  ascend  the 
mountain  to  a junction  with  I..  R.  1 1035  on  the 
top.  I urn  right  on  1103 5,  follow  it  for  about  a 
mile,  fork  left  on  /..  II.  110,2.  and  follow  it  for 
a little  over  2 miles  to  Asheville.  There  turn  left 
on  Pa.  36  and  follow  it  to  Chest  Springs,  where 
you  are  bat  k on  the  Kittanning  Path. 

From  Chest  Springs  take  /..  R.  11011  west. 
Immediately  after  crossing  Chest  Creek  at  Eckcn- 
rode  Mills,  you  will  see  on  your  right  a small 
flight  of  steps  climbing  the  second  bank.  From 
the  top  of  it  you  will  see  visible  traces  of  the  old 
Kittanning  Path.  Continue  on  I,  R.  IIOII  for 
another  mile,  turn  r ight  on  I..  R.  HOIS,  and  al- 
most immediately  turn  left  (northwest)  on  L.  R. 
110,5.  follow  1 10,5  to  its  junction  with  L.  R. 
llOR)  and  take  the  latter  for  about  3 miles  to  its 


junction  with  L.  R.  1105S.  Turn  right  on  11058, 
go  2 miles  to  Plattsville,  and  continue  on  an  un- 
improved road  northwest  to  Sha/en.  There  turn 
left  and  go  west  to  meet  I..  R.  11062  at  Emeigh. 
Turn  right  on  11062  and  right  again  on  U.  S. 
219.  In  half  a mile  turn  left  (west)  on  L.  R. 
11069  tea  c ross  the  Susquehanna,  near  the  former 
head  of  lumber  rafting  on  the  West  Branch.  In 
Indiana  County,  11069  becomes  32026.  Follow  it 
for  a mile  west  of  the  county  line  to  Uniontown. 

At  Uniontown,  Indiana  County,  take  Pa.  631 
and  follow  it  to  Cook  port.  There  turn  left 
(southwest)  on  /..  R.  32065.  Follow  it  for  about 
a mile  and  a quarter,  then  turn  right  (west)  on 
L.  R.  32169.  Follow  32160  about  3 miles  to  meet 
Pa.  22  3.  Follow  this  for  about  a mile  through 
Diamonclville.  Half  a mile  beyond  Diamond- 
ville,  take  R.  32052  south  to  Penn  Run  and  a 
junction  with  Pa.  5 5 3.  Follow  5 5 3 about  2t/> 
miles  to  its  junction  with  U.  S.  (22.  Turn  right 
on  722,  lollow  it  about  2 miles,  and  turn  left 
(south  and  then  west)  on  a country  road  that 
traces  the  old  path  lor  about  5 miles  to  its  junc- 
tion with  L.  R.  32036.  Turn  right,  cross  Two 
Lick  Creek,  and  follow  this  road  into  Indiana. 

In  Indiana  turn  left  (west)  on  U.  S.  122  and 
follow  it  (though  this  road  beside  Curry  Run  is 
a mile  or  so  east  of  the  old  path)  to  the  crossing 
of  Crooked  Creek  and  through  Shelocta  (where 
it  is  back  on  the  trail  again)  , Elderton,  Whites- 
burg,  and  Blanket  Hill  to  Kittanning. 

Hanna.  The  Wilderness  Trail  (New  York.  1911),  1.249. 
" West  Side  Vpplicatinns.  \<>.  2.345  H7fi7):  Warrantee 
Survev,  O 209-87. 

11  I.cuis  (,.  Walkinshaw,  Annals  of  South  Western  Penn- 
sylvania, I.  8. 

* Ibirl. 

■Journal  entrv.  \ugust  21.  See  Paul  V.  W.  Wallace, 
Conrad  Wriset  . . . (Philadelphia.  19-la)  . 266,  269. 
Walkinshaw,  <>/>.  eit.,  I.  8. 

7 Written  on  the  hack  of  this  survev  is  John  Taylor's 
illuminating  account  of  the  manner  in  which  he  located 
the  tract.  See  Appendix  No.  3. 

' R I).  I.  Indiana,  Pa. 

"Warrantee  Survey  C 16-246. 

Warrantee  Survev  C 7-93. 

Warrantee  Survev  \ 13-282:  "Oakchahanak  Crossing.” 
13  Application  No.  1511.  New  Purchase  (1769),  and 
Warrantee  Survev  \ 85-229  for  John  I.atta. 

11  Application  No.  1994.  New  Purchase  (1769)  for  George 
Campbell.  300  acres:  “Upon  Plumb  Creek  known  by  the 
name  of  Jas.  LeTarts  Town  an  Indian";  and  the  accom- 
panving  survey.  D 46-82. 

"Charles  A.  Hanna,  The  lli/derness  Trail,  I,  182. 

15  Pennsylvania  History,  XXIII,  No.  3 (July,  1956), 
376-407. 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA : No.  27 


55 


27.  Frankstown-Burnt  Cabins  Path 

From  Burnt  Cabins  to  Frankstown 


Travelers  from  Paxtang  (Harrisburg)  used  the 
Raystown  Path  to  reach  Burnt  Cabins.  From 
there  the  path  to  Frankstown  went  by  Fort  Lit- 
tleton, Three  Springs,  Saltillo,  and  across  the 
Barrens  to  reach  the  Raystown  Branch  of  the 
Juniata  near  the  mouth  of  Trough  Creek.  Pass- 
ing a mile  and  a half  north  of  Marklesville,  it 
crossed  Tussey  Mountain,  ran  west  through  Shel- 
leytown  on  Clover  Creek,  crossed  Lock  Mountain 
west  of  Royer,  and  ran  down  to  Frank  Stevens’ 
Trading  Post  on  the  Frankstown  Branch  of  the 
Juniata  at  the  mouth  of  Oldtown  Creek. 

Evidence  for  that  part  of  the  path  which  lies 
between  the  Raystown  Branch  and  the  Franks- 
town Branch  is  found  in  a strong  local  tradition 
at  Marklesburg.  According  to  Frank  Brum- 
baugh, the  Stone  Church,  about  a mile  and  a half 
northeast  of  Marklesburg,  is  at  the  approximate 
point  where  the  Frankstown  Path  crossed  the 
Warriors  Path  running  from  Oldtown,  Md.,  to 
Standing  Stone  (Huntingdon,  Pa.)  . Said  Mr. 
Brumbaugh:  ‘The  Ganner  boys  of  Marklesburg 
were  engaged  to  two  Sorrick  girls  at  Shelleytown, 
and  used  the  old  Indian  path  to  visit  there.  This 
trail  to  Frankstown  has  always  been  known  as  an 
Indian  trail  in  this  neighborhood.” 


FRANKSTOWN-BURNT  CABINS  PATH 


Evidence  for  the  section  from  Burnt  Cabins  to 
the  Raystown  Branch  of  the  Juniata  is  found  in 
William  Scull’s  map  of  Pennsylvania,  1770.  It 
shows  a path  running  north  from  Fort  Littleton 
to  Three  Springs,  thence  northwest  across  the 
Barrens  to  the  fording  of  the  Raystown  Branch 
and,  a few  miles  beyond  that,  merging  with  the 
Warriors  Path  for  Standing  Stone. 

Frank  Brumbaugh  was  under  the  impression 
that  the  path  on  its  way  east  from  Three  Springs 
did  not  got  to  Fort  Littleton  but  to  Aughwick  ( or 
Orbisonia?)  and  thence  south  through  Shade 
Gap  to  Burnt  Cabins.  This  would  make  a longer 
journey,  but  there  would  be  fewer  hills  to  climb. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

No  road  follows  the  Frankstown-Burnt  Cab- 
ins path  all  the  way,  but  a view  of  its  terrain  may 
be  had  by  following  these  directions. 

From  Burnt  Cabins  take  U.  S.  522  to  Fort  Lit- 
tleton. There  turn  north  and  follow  a succession 
of  township  and  county  roads  by  way  of  Mad- 
densville  and  Mt.  Carmel  Church  to  Three 
Springs.  From  Three  Springs  follow  Pa.  994  west 
for  about  a mile,  turn  right  on  Pa.  655 , and  then 
in  a few  yards  turn  left  on  L.  R.  31008.  Follow  it 
over  Sideling  Hill  to  meet  L.  R.  31081,  continu- 
ing west  on  the  latter  to  its  junction  with  Pa.  994. 
By  this  time  the  Indian  path  has  been  left  far  to 
the  east.  Take  964  to  Newburg.  There  turn  right 
for  the  State  Forest  Road  and  follow  the  latter 
(still  west  of  the  path,  which  keeps  to  the  hills) 
down  the  valley  of  Trough  Creek.  At  its  mouth, 
the  modern  road  is  near  the  Indian  path  again. 
Cross  the  Raystown  Branch  of  the  Juniata  and 
take  L.  R.  31059  and  31079  to  Marklesburg. 

There  is  no  direct  road  from  Marklesburg  to 
Shelleytown.  The  best  the  motorist  can  do  is  to 
take  the  road  running  north  over  Tussey  Moun- 
tain and  double  back  to  Shelleytown.  After  that, 
zigzag  across  country  by  way  of  Oreminea  Mines 
and  Royer,  there  picking  up  L.  R.  07022.  Follow 
it  for  about  5 miles  to  a fork.  There,  bearing 
left,  take  L.  R.  07070  and  follow  it  to  the  creek 
near  the  site  of  old  Frankstown  at  the  mouth  of 
Oldtown  Run. 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  28 


76 


28.  Franks  town-  Venanro  Path 

o 

From  Frankstoum  to  Franklin 


From  Frankstovvn  on  the  Juniata  to  a little  be- 
yond the  crossing  ol  the  West  Branch  of  the  Sus- 
quehanna a mile  and  a half  south  of  Cherry  Tree, 
the  path  to  Venango  was  identical  with  the  path 
to  Kittanning.  But  at  a spring  on  a hill  about 
four  miles  as  the  bird  flies  beyond  the  West 
Branch  crossing,  the  paths  separated.  Two  war- 


to  their  junction,"  and  another  along  the  bank  of 
the  Little  Mahoning  to  its  mouth. 

At  the  mouth  of  the  Little  Mahoning,  the  path 
crossed  the  Big  Mahoning.  It  continued  in  a 
north-northwesterly  direction  to  Redbank  Creek, 
fording  it  (according  to  a strong  local  tradition) 
from  the  present  town  of  Oak  Ridge  to  the  In- 
dian town  of  Fish  Basket  at  the  mouth  of  Town 
Run.  Continuing  its  north-northwest  course,  the 
path  crossed  Middle  Run  about  a mile  and  a 
quarter  from  its  mouth  and  (tossed  Leisure  Run 
in  another  mile  and  a quarter.  Passing  through 
Brinkerton,  it  came  to  Reidsburg.  There  it 
veered  west  to  Shamburg  and  then  turned  north 
to  cross  the  Clarion  River  at  or  near  Pinev  (six 
miles  as  the  crow  f 1 ie^  southwest  of  Clarion)  . 
Passing  through  Edenburg  to  Kossuth,  it  con- 
tinued a little  north  ol  west  through  Van,  Maple 
Shade,  and  Cranberry  to  the  present  village  of 

FRANKSTOWN-VENANGO  PATH 


I 2 
=) 


^Sutgjthonno  R > i 


z 


ran  tee  surveys  show  the  forks:  C 36-117  shows 
a tract  “.  . . Situate  on  Muddy  Run  & on  the 
Fork  of  the  Paths  leading  to  Kittaning  & Winan- 
go  about  four  Miles  from  Owens  Stamping 
Ground."  C 167-12  shows  one  "...  on  the  Road 
from  Frankstovvn  to  Kittaning  about  three  or 
lout  Miles  from  Owens  Stamping  Ground." 

I here  were  probably  several  variants  of  this 
path  to  Venango  as  it  made  its  way  over  and 
through  the  tangle  of  hills  hereabouts.  One 
branch  may  have  gone  through  the  present 
Mat  ion  Center  while  another  skirted  it  to  the 
north.  At  Rossmoyne  the  path  came  down  off 
the  ridge  to  cross  Little  Mahoning  Creek  at  an 
Indian  town  near  Frantz.1  From  that  point 
there  were  probably  alternate  routes  again:  one 
‘along  the  ridge  between  the  Mahoning  Creeks 


canoe  place 

(Cherry  Tree) 

•/•  %%  # 

Owen*  Stompinjj.Ground 


To  CheM  •'  t To*»r 


To  Fronhttowp 


Chest 
Springs 
o»i'  e 


Venango  at  the  mouth  of  Twomile  Run,  and 
then  followed  the  bank  of  the  Allegheny  River 
to  a ford  opposite  the  site  of  the  French  Fort 
Machault  at  the  Indian  town  of  Venango. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

No  modern  roads  trace  this  path  for  any  dis- 
tance. It  is  useless  to  trv  to  follow  it  bv  motor 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  28-30 


car,  except  for  the  last  16  miles  or  so.  From 
Kossuth  U.  S.  322  follows  it  west  through  Van, 
Maple  Shade,  and  Cranberry  to  Franklin. 

1 See  C.  W.  W.  Elkin,  “The  Indian  Trails  of  Southwestern 
Pennsylvania,”  Pennsylvania  Archaeologist,  X (1940),  36. 


29.  French  Creek  Path 

From  Conestoga  Indian  Town  to  Phoenixville 

Martin  H.  Brackbill,  in  a paper  entitled  “Peter 
Bezaillon’s  Road,”1  describes  an  Indian  path 
running  from  Conestoga  (near  Washington 
Boro)  to  the  mouth  of  French  Creek  at  Phoenix- 
ville. The  course  he  charts  for  it,  “after  a careful 
study  of  a map  of  the  region,”  ran  “in  a general 
northeast  direction  west  of  the  Conestoga  Creek 
to  a point  near  Eden,  then  across  the  creek  in 
an  easterly  direction,  following  the  present  course 
of  the  New  Holland  Pike  and  Morgantown  road, 
and  so  on  to  the  Schuylkill.  As  it  happens,  this 
was  one  of  the  earliest  roads  laid  out  by  the 
courts,  after  Lancaster  County  was  created  out  of 
the  western  end  of  Chester  County.” 

At  one  time  there  was  a considerable  Indian 
population  in  the  Phoenixville  area,  and  there 
may  have  been  traffic  from  Conestoga  directly  to 
these  settlements,  which  were  concentrated  on 
the  Schuylkill  chiefly  between  the  mouth  of 
French  Creek  and  the  mouth  of  Valley  Creek. 
But  in  colonial  days  the  weight  of  Indian  travel 
was  toward  the  lower  Schuylkill,  where  the  trad- 
ing posts  had  been  established  by  the  Dutch  and 
the  Swedes.  To  reach  them,  shorter  routes  were 


found  than  the  one  described  above.  The  two 
best  known  were  the  Great  Minquas  Path  and 
Old  Peter’s  Road  (Peter  Bezaillon’s)  . 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  Washington  Boro,  south  of  Columbia, 
take  Pa.  999  to  Lancaster  and  then  take  Pa.  23 
through  New  Holland,  Blue  Ball,  Goodville, 
Churchtown,  Morgantown,  Elverson,  Warwick, 
Knauertown,  St.  Peters,  and  Buck  Town  to 
Phoenixville. 

1 Lancaster  County  Historical  Society,  Papers,  XLIII 
(1939)  , 42. 


30.  Georgetown  Road 

o 

From  Washington , D.  C.,  to  the  Raystown  Path 

Packers’  paths,  believed  to  be  based  on  Indian 
trails,  came  up  from  Georgetown  and  Baltimore 
over  Cartledge’s  Old  Road  (1722).  Entering 
Pennsylvania  through  Nichols  Gap  (at  Monterey 
near  Waynesboro)  , where  a number  of  trails  con- 
verged, these  packers’  paths  crossed  Franklin 
County  by  several  different  routes.  One  ran  to 
Fort  Loudon,  Cowan  Gap,  and  Burnt  Cabins;  a 
second,  to  the  vicinity  of  McConnellsburg  in  the 
Big  Cove;  and  a third,  to  Horse  Valley  on  the 
far  side  of  the  North  Mountain. 

The  first  ol  these  (through  Fort  Loudon  and 
Cowan  Gap)  was,  according  to  the  researches  ol 
Mr.  Hart  M.  Dymond  of  Chambersburg,  the 
earliest  and  tor  many  years  the  principal  one. 
From  Monterey  it  passed  about  three  miles  north 


FRENCH  CREEK  PATH 


IX MAX  PATHS  OF  PEXXSYLVAXIA:  Xo.  SO 


58 


of  Waynesboro  ;md  proceeded  by  way  of  Ouinev, 
Fort  Stouffer  (near  Five  Forks)  , Clay  Hill, 
Browns  Mills,  the  junction  ol  Back  Creek  with 
the  Conococheague  near  Williamson,  M<  Dowell’s 
Mill  (Markes),  Fort  Loudon,  and  Cowan  Gap 
to  Burnt  Cabins  in  Fulton  Countv.  Cowan  Gap 
was  a hidden  break  in  the  Fuscarora  Mountain 
which  saved  the  traveler  the  steep  ascent  en- 
countered on  the  Cove  Gap  route.  One  branch 
ol  the  Raystown  Path  also  went  through  Cowan 
Gap. 

I he  second  path  ran  through  Waynesboro, 
Grcencastle,  Mercersburg,  and  over  Cove  Moun- 
tain In  way  ol  Cove  Chip  to  McConnellsburg.  In 
17fi8  it  was  cut  as  a bridle  path  and  became,  as 
Mr.  Dyuiond  writes,  "the  main  pack  trail  from 
Baltimore  to  the  west.” 

The  third  path  crossed  the  Conococheague  at 
Social  Island  about  five  miles  south  of  Chambers- 
burg.  It  is  said  to  have  entered  one  of  the  gaps 
near  F.denville  and  so  climbed  over  the  North 
Mountain  into  Horse  Valley. 

FOR  IMF  MOTORIST 

The  most  interesting  part  of  the  first  path 
(through  Cowan  Gap)  lies  between  Fori  Loudon 
and  Burnt  Cabins.  T his  the  motorist  can  easily 
follow  by  taking  Pa.  75  north  from  Fort  Loudon 
up  Path  Valley  (named  for  the  Fuscarora  Indian 
Path  ol  two  centuries  and  more  ago)  for  about 
I miles  to  Richmond  Furnace,  fust  beyond  the 
Furnace,  turn  left  on  /..  R.  75  Spur  and  L.  R. 
290ft,  which  wind  through  Cowan  Gap  and 
down  the  South  Branch  of  Little  Aughwick 
Creek  to  meet  U.  S'.  522  in  the  outskirts  of  Burnt 
( labins. 

To  follow  the  full  course  of  this  path,  take 
the  road  from  Monterey  toward  Beartown,  cross 
the  State  Forest  Road,  and  a mile  beyond  it  enter 
/ R.  23021.  Follow  this  northwest  to  Quincy. 


From  Quincy  continue  west,  crossing  Pa.  116  to 
Greendale.  I hen  take  /..  R.  23032  through  Clay 
Hill  and  Browns  Mills  to  meet  L.  R.  28033  on 
the  banks  of  Conococheague  Creek.  Between  that 
point  and  Markes  (3  miles  as  the  bird  flies)  no 
modern  road  follows  the  old  bridle  path,  but  the 
motorist  will  have  no  difficulty  in  /ig/aging  across 
country  in  a west-northwest  direction.  At  Markes 
he  will  pick  up  L.  R.  2S002  and  proceed  with  it 
to  Fort  Loudon,  thence  taking  the  road  to  Cowan 
Gap  as  described  above. 

The  second  path  (through  Cove  Gap)  may  be 
followed  fairly  closely  all  the  wav  from  Monterey 
to  McConnellsburg  on  Pa.  16. 

The  course  of  the  third  path  (over  the  North 
Mountain  into  Horse  Valley)  may  be  approxi- 
mated by  driving  north  from  Fdenville  (which 
is  3 miles  north  of  St.  Thomas  on  the  Lincoln 
Highway,  U.  S.  30)  on  L.  R.  23005  for  about  1 1/2 
miles,  and  then  turning  left  on  the  State  Forest 
Road  for  the  mountain. 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  31 


59 


31.  Glades  Path 


From  Bedford  to  Washington,  Pa. 

There  is  a tradition  that  the  Glades  Road  ot 
1772  followed  an  Indian  path  from  Bedford 
through  the  Glades  of  Stony  Greek  to  West  New- 
ton on  the  Youghiogheny,  and  thence  across  the 
Monongahela  and  on  to  Catfish  (Washington)  . 
That  is  the  route  now  followed  most  of  the  way 
by  Pa.  31.  According  to  the  Reverend  E.  Austin 
Cooper,  formerly  of  Brotherton,  “Highway  31  is 
known  locally  as  the  Middle  Indian  1 rail  [inter- 
mediate between  the  Raystown  Path  and  Nema- 
colin’s  Path].  It  is  the  same  as  the  Glades  Trail. 

The  Glades  Path  ran  from  Raystown  (Bed- 
ford) by  way  of  Manns  Choice,  the  Dry  Ridge, 
West  End,  Brotherton,  Somerset,  Donegal, 
Cherry’s  Mill  (Laurelville) , and  Mount  Pleasant 
—where  the  Braddock  Road  crossed  it— to  West 
Newton.  There  it  forded  the  Youghiogheny.  It 
crossed  the  Monongahela  at  Parkinson’s  Ferry 
(now  Monongahela  City)  , came  to  Catfish,  and 
went  on  to  the  Ohio  River  at  Wheeling. 

This  was  a favorite  route,  in  certain  seasons, 
for  settlers  headed  for  the  west.1  General  Rufus 
Putnam  in  1788  led  a body  of  New  England 
settlers  (the  first  “to  establish  American  govern- 
ment in  the  Northwest  Territory”) 2 to  West 
Newton.  There  they  built  boats  and  embarked, 
April  2,  for  the  journey  on  which  they  founded 
Marietta,  Ohio. 

In  wet  weather  the  ground  traversed  by  the 
Glades  Path  was  too  soft.  John  Heckewelder 
commented  in  his  Journal  of  1797:  “This  road  is 
said  to  be  best  in  summer  during  dry  weather, 
when  both  Mountains  are  also  easy  of  ascent.”3 

The  tradition  that  this  was  originally  an  In- 
dian trail  finds  support  in  the  terrain,  which 
affords  a natural  highway  between  Raystown  and 
Indian  settlements  in  the  Monongahela  and  Ohio 
valleys.  It  finds  further  support  in  the  early  roads 
built  along  the  route,  such  as  the  Glades  Road  of 
1772. 4 

The  commissioners  (James  Bind,  George  Cro- 
ghan,  and  others)  who  made  the  survey  in  1755 
for  what  came  to  be  known  as  Bind’s  Road,  took 


GLADES  PATH 


60 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  31 


only  fourteen  days  to  go  from  Carlisle  to  the 
summit  of  the  Allegheny  Mountain.  They  ex- 
plained their  great  speed  in  these  words:  “We 
were  very  fortunate  in  finding  a good  road  all 
the  way  &:  particularly  thro  the  Alleghany  Hills 
Considering  how  Mountainous  that  Country  is.”5 

According  to  Thomas  Pownall's  map  (1755) 
of  “ I'he  New  laied  out  Road  . . . from  Shippens- 
burg”6  and  the  careful  researches  of  Dr.  John  V. 
Miller,  Sr.,  of  Dillsburg,  Pa.,  Hurd’s  Road  west 
of  Raystown  forded  the  Raystown  Branch  of  the 
Juniata  to  the  north  bank  at  Wolfsburg,  and  in 
about  three  and  a half  miles  crossed  back  to  the 
south  side.  At  Manns  Choice  it  crossed  Buffalo 
Run.  Just  west  of  the  mouth  of  the  Shawnee 
Branch,  it  crossed  again  to  the  north  side  of  the 
Raystown  Branch.  It  ran  through  New  Buena 
Vista  (where  the  main  street  is  said  to  be  approxi- 
mately on  the  Indian  path)  , and  crossed  the 
Raystown  Branch  once  more  about  five  miles  be- 
yond the  town.  It  crossed  Three  Lick  Run  about 
a mile  and  a quarter  south  of  New  Baltimore, 
and  climbed  the  Allegheny  Mountain  to  its  sum- 
mit. Receiving  news  of  Braddock’s  defeat  and 
the  approach  of  hostile  Indians,  the  men  laid 
down  their  tools  and  retired. 

It  is  thought  that  the  Indian  path,  from  that 
point,  ran  southwest  (in  about  two  miles  cross- 
ing the  Raystown  Branch  for  the  last  time)  to 


join  the  other  branch  of  the  Glades  Path  at 
Deeter’s  Gap. 

Nicholas  Scull’s  map  of  Pennsylvania,  1759, 
shows  the  Burd  Road  from  Bedford  to  the  Alle- 
gheny Mountain.  The  map  attributed  to  Her- 
man Husband  shows  the  road  continued  to 
Cherry’s  (Laurelville,  west  of  Donegal)  . Read- 
ing Howell’s  map  of  1792  takes  the  road  all  the 
way  through  from  Husband’s  (Somerset)  to 
C berry’s,  Parkinson’s  (Monongahcla)  . and 
Washington. 

The  name  Glades  Path  was  sometimes  given 
also  to  other  paths  that  passed  through  the 
Glades  of  Stony  Creek  in  the  vicinity  of  Somerset. 
One  of  these  wras  a packers’  path,  more  usually 
known  as  the  Hays  Mill  Path  (q.v.),  which  ran 
from  Wills  Creek  (Cumberland,  Md.)  to  the 
Glades. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

The  whole  route,  from  Bedford  to  Washing- 
ton, is  now  followed  fairly  closely  by  Pa.  31. 

1 See  Solon  J.  Buck  and  Elizabeth  Hawthorn  Buck, 
The  Planting  of  Civilization  in  Western  Pennsylvania 
(Pittsburgh,  1939)  , 233. 

- State  highway  marker  on  Pa.  31  tvest  of  West  Newton. 

'Pennsylvania  Magazine  of  History  and  Biography,  X, 
131. 

‘William  II.  Welflv.  History  of  'somerset  County  (New 
York,  1906),  193. 

Shippen  Papers,  I,  127.  Historical  Society  of  Penn- 
sy  Ivania. 

" Loudoun  Papers,  Huntington  Library,  Pasadena,  Cal. 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  32 


61 


32.  Goschgoschink  Path 


From  West  Hickory  through 

At  the  Delaware  town  of  Goschgoschink1 
(West  Hickory)  the  Goschgoschink  Path  forded 
the  Allegheny  River.  It  ran  south  to  a crossing 
of  Tionesta  Creek,  probably  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  present  Nebraska.  Continuing  south  by  way 
of  Tylersburg  and  Helen  Furnace  (where  it 
joined  the  Venango-Chinklacamoose  Path)  , it 
crossed  the  Clarion  River  at  Clew’s  Riffle,  about 
two  miles  east  of  Clarion.  Turning  east,  it  ran 
through  Corsica  and  Brookville  to  Luthersburg. 
There  it  met  the  Great  Shamokin  Path  and  fol- 
lowed it  to  Chinklacamoose.  A branch  ran  south 


Luthersburg  to  Clearfield 

from  Clew’s  Riffle  to  meet  the  Olean-Kittanning 
Path  in  the  vicinity  of  present  Frogtown. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

Before  the  construction  of  the  Tionesta  Creek 
Reservoir,  it  was  possible  to  go  from  West  Hick- 
ory across  the  Allegheny  River,  turn  south  on 
U.  S.  62  for  better  than  a mile,  turn  left  on  L.  R. 
27008,  and  follow  it  to  a crossing  of  Tionesta 
Creek  at  Nebraska.  Now,  however,  since  the  con- 
struction of  the  Reservoir,  it  has  become  neces- 
sary to  get  on  to  the  path  another  way. 


Take  Pa.  62  south  to  its  junction  with  Pa.  36 
and  follow  the  latter  southeast  to  Newmansville. 
There  leave  36  and  continue  southeast  on  L.  R. 
16102  to  Tylersburg. 

From  Tylersburg,  take  Pa.  36  again  and  follow 
it  southeast  to  Leeper.  Turn  right  on  Pa.  68 
and  almost  immediately  left  on  a township  road 
which  in  about  a mile  and  a half  enters  L.  R. 
16053  at  Gabler’s  Corner.  Follow  1605  3 for  over 
3 miles  to  its  junction  with  Pa.  966,  and  take  the 
latter  through  Helen  Furnace  (where  the  path 
from  Venango  comes  in)  to  Clarion.  Between 
Gabler’s  Corner  and  Clarion,  it  will  be  interest- 
ing to  stop  at  Miola  and  take  the  road  south, 
which  Merle  Eberlin  of  the  Clarion  County  His- 

GOSCHGOSCHINK  PATH 


N 

A 


I 2 


*•  Shamo* 


Ki.tonninj.  £ra„kst(mn 

* ^ z 


'O 

•••• 


LUTHERSBURG 

Great  Shamokin  Path— » • — > 


62 


INDIAN  PATHS  Ol  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  32-33 


torical  Society  believes  follows  the  old  path 
closely  to  the  ford  of  the  Clarion  River  at  Clew's 
Riffle.  Since  there  is  no  bridge  there,  however, 
the  motorist  will  have  to  return  id  Miola  and 
cross  the  river  at  Clarion. 

In  the  town  of  Clarion,  turn  left  (east)  on 
U.  S.  322  and  follow  it  to  Strattanville,  where  the 


Indian  path  is  picked  up  again.  Continue  on  322 
through  Corsica,  Brookville,  and  Reynoldsvillc 
to  Luthersburg,  which  is  the  junction  point  with 
the  Great  Shamokin  Path  (q.v.). 

1 The  spelling  adopted  for  this  name  (English, 
C.nxhgoshink)  is  one  used  by  the  German  Moravians.  It 
is  chosen  because  the  Moravian  records  provide  our 
principal  source  of  information  about  the  place. 


GREAT  PATH 

33.  Great  Path 

From  Pittsburgh  to  Detroit 


The  Great  Path  crossed  the  Allegheny  Rivei 
at  Pittsburgh,  ran  along  the  west  side  of  the  Ohio 
River  through  Avalon,  Sewickley,  Logs  town 
(I.egionville,  two  miles  north  of  Ambridge)  , 
and  Crow's  Iown  (Conway)  to  Logan's  Town 
(Rochester)  and  Beaver’s  Town  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Beaver  River.  In  the  western  outskirts  of 
Beaver,  the  path  turned  away  from  the  Ohio 
River  and  ran  through  Blackhawk  and  Clarkson 
to  the  Ohio  line.  In  Ohio  it  ran  through  Dun- 
gannon, Kensington,  Minerva,  and  Malvern  to 
the  Indian  town  of  Tuscarawas  (Bolivar)  on  the 
Muskingum  (now  the  Tuscarawas)  River.  Ii 
crossed  the  river  about  a mile  above  the  town. 
This  eastern  section  was  sometimes  called  the 
Tuscarawas  Path. 

Thomas  Hutchins,  the  surveyor,  in  his  "De- 
scription of  part  of  the  Countn  Westward  of  the 
River  Ohio,  1765,”  tells  what  he  had  seen  of  the 
Pennsylvania  end  of  this  path: 


From  Fort  Pitt  to  big  Beaver  Creek  by 
land  is  28  Miles  the  Path  is  mostly  along 
the  River  side  and  crosses  a Number  ol 
small  Ridges  that  Border  on  the  River  - 
Little  Beaver  Creek  is  16  Miles  lurther, 
for  the  first  two  Miles  the  Woods  is  very 
Levell  at  the  End  which  is  a Run 
[Twomile  Run]  and  a very  Steep  8c  Diffi- 
cult Ridge  which  may  be  Avoided  by  in- 
clining about  half  a Mile  to  the  Right  of 
the  Path,  the  Country  then  is  made  up  of 
small  broken  Hills  all  (lie  way  to  Little 
Beaver  Creek,  the  Descent  to  which  is 
Steep,  this  Creek  is  60  yards  wide  and  has 
a very  good  Fording.  . . T 

From  Tuscarawas,  according  to  [ohn  Hecke- 
welder’s  map  of  the  Ohio  Country  (1796),  the 
main  branch  of  the  path  went  on  “to  Sandusky 
and  Detroit,”  while  another  branch  went  south 
“to  the  Shawnee  Towns  on  Sciota  and  Miami.” 

Colonel  Henry  Bouquet,  when  he  led  his  ex- 
peditionary force  in  1764  to  Coshocton  for  the 
treaty  that  ended  Pontiac’s  War,  followed  the 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  33-34 


Great  Path  as  far  as  Tuscarawas.  Our  best  knowl- 
edge of  the  route  comes  from  a map  of  the  Ohio 
Country  made  in  the  same  year  by  Hutchins, 
who  traced  it  from  his  own  surveys.  Edward  G. 
Williams,  editor  of  Bouquet’s  Orderly  Book,2 
has  transferred  it  to  a modern  map. 

During  the  latter  half  of  the  eighteenth  cen- 
tury, the  Great  Path  was,  as  its  name  suggests,  a 
much-traveled  highway.  Archer  Butler  Hulbert 
in  his  Red-Men’s  Roads:  The  Indian  Thorough- 
fares of  the  Central  West,  calls  it  “the  most  im- 
portant trail  of  the  central  west,  the  main 
thoroughfare  from  Fort  Pitt  to  Fort  Detroit.  It 
was  the  western  extension,”  he  continues,  “of  the 
continental  route  from  the  seaboard  to  the  north- 
west, meeting  Nemacolin’s  Path,  which  came 
from  Fort  Cumberland,  at  Fort  Pitt.”3 

The  name  Great  Path  was  sometimes  given 
also  to  the  Frankstown  Path  from  the  Susque- 
hanna to  the  Forks  of  the  Ohio.  At  the  Forks,  it 


fi.H 

made  connection  with  the  path  to  Detroit  de- 
scribed above. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  Pittsburgh,  take  Pa.  65  to  Beaver.  From 
Beaver  follow  L.  R.  278  for  about  6 miles  and 
then  turn  right  on  L.  R.  04002,  which  runs  to 
Blackhawk  and  the  Ohio  border. 

There  is  no  through  road  from  there  to  Boli- 
var, but  U.  S.  30  (the  Lincoln  Highway)  follows 
the  path  fairly  closely  from  Kensington  to  Mi- 
nerva. From  there  Ohio  80  will  take  you  through 
Malvern  to  Waynesburg  and  Magnolia,  all  close 
to  the  Great  Path.  Thence  Bouquet’s  road  cut 
across  to  the  vicinity  of  East  Sparks  and  so  went 
to  Bolivar  (Tuscarawas)  . 

1 Historical  Society  of  Pennsylvania. 

2 “The  Orderly  Book  of  Colonel  Henry  Bouquet’s  Ex- 
pedition Against  the  Ohio  Indians,  1764,”  Western  Penn- 
sylvania Historical  Magazine,  XLII  (1959)  , 16-17. 

2 (Cleveland,  Ohio,  1900)  , 10. 


34.  Great  Island  Path 

From  Sunhury  to  Lock  Haven 


The  Great  Island  Path,  according  to  J.  P. 
Meginness,1  crossed  the  Susquehanna  River  at 
Shamokin  (Sunhury)  and  ascended  the  ravine 
on  the  west  side  from  a point  about  a quarter 
of  a mile  south  of  the  present  bridge  across  the 
West  Branch  to  Northumberland.  For  about 
three  miles  it  followed  the  ridge  which  forms  the 
boundary  between  Snyder  and  Union  counties; 
“.  . . then  turning  towards  the  river,”  as  Megin- 
ness writes,  “it  passed  over  the  hill  upon  the 
Merrill  place;  thence  followed  the  river  bank 
through  Winfield  and  Lewisburg;  thence  to 
Buffalo  Creek,  where  the  iron  bridge  now  spans 
it.  It  then  curved  to  the  river  and  passed  through 
Shikellimy’s  Town  [three-quarters  of  a mile  south 
of  West  Milton]  . . . and  along  the  river  road, 
around  the  rocks”2  north  of  the  village  of  White 
Deer,  into  White  Deer  Hole  Valley;  thence  to  the 
vicinity  of  Elimsport  and  over  North  White  Deer 
Ridge  into  Nippenose  Valley,  up  which  it  ran  to 
its  head.  It  then  passed  through  the  gap  in  Bald 
Eagle  Mountain  to  Lock  Haven  Reservoir  on 
McElhattan  Creek,  Shoemaker  Park,  and  Young- 
dale.  There  turning  southwest,  it  followed  the 


West  Branch  of  the  Susquehanna  to  the  Great 
Island  (Lock  Haven)  . 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  White  Deer  to  Allenwood,  take  U . S.  15. 
At  Allenwood  turn  left  on  Pa.  44  through  Elims- 
port and  over  North  White  Deer  Ridge  to  Col- 
lomsville  and  Oval.  Veer  left  at  Oval  on  L.  R. 
41013  and  follow  it  to  Oriole.  From  there  no  road 
follows  the  course  of  the  Great  Island  Path  over 
Bald  Eagle  Mountain  to  the  Lock  Haven  Reser- 
voir; but  the  motorist  will  get  a good  idea  of  the 
obstacles  before  the  path  if  he  continues  from 
Oriole  as  directly  west  as  he  can  go,  crosses  Pa. 
880,  which  in  about  a mile  runs  into  L.  R.  18019 
at  the  head  of  Nippenose  Valley,  and  follows 
18019  over  Bald  Eagle  Mountain  and  down  a 
Forestry  Road  through  the  gorge  of  Love  Run.  At 
Pine,  turn  left  (west)  on  L.  li.  18013  for  Young- 
dale.  From  Youngdale  an  excursion  may  be 
made  up  McElhattan  Creek  to  the  Lock  Haven 
Reservoir  in  order  to  see  the  cleft  through  which 
the  Great  Island  Path  came  down  ofl  Bald  Eagle 
Mountain.  From  Youngdale  continue  on  18013 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  3-1-35 


64 


to  Castanea  and  there  cross  the  river  to  Lock 
Haven.  The  Great  Island  is  at  the  east  end  of 
town  on  U.  S'.  220. 


1 Otzinachson:  -i  History  of  the  West  Branch  Valley  of 
the  Susquehanna  (Williamsport,  1889)  , 89. 

: Ibid. 


35.  Great  Minquas  Path 

From  Philadelphia  to  Washington  Boro 


The  Great  Minquas  Path  was  named  by  the 
Dutch  for  the  Minquas  Indians  (the  Susquehan- 
nocks)  , from  whose  territory  on  the  Susquehanna 
near  Washington  Boro  this  path  ran  to  the 
Philaclelphia-Chester  area.  It  was  used  by  the 
Susquehannocks  in  historic  times  as  an  alternate 
to  their  canoe  route  (see  the  French  Greek  Path) 
for  the  bringing  of  furs  to  Dutch  and  Swedish 
trading  posts  on  the  Schuylkill  and  Delaware 
rivers. 

There  were  many  branches  at  the  eastern  end, 
running  down  to  Chester  and  other  points  on  the 
Delaware.  The  eastern  terminus  of  the  main 
path  at  one  time  was  at  Fort  Manayunk,  which 
had  been  established  by  Governor  Johan  Print/ 
on  the  west  bank  of  the  Schuylkill  near  the  later 
Penrose  Perry  Bridge.  Moving  west  from  Fort 


Manayunk,  the  path  ran  through  Darby,  Lima, 
Gradyville,  the  Porks  of  the  Brandywine,  Morton- 
ville,  Parkesburg,  Gap,  Strasburg,  Willow  Street, 
Rockhill  (where  it  crossed  Conestoga  Creek) , to 
populous  Susquehannock  settlements  by  the  Sus- 
quehanna River. 

Over  this  path  the  Susquehannock  Indians 
yearly  brought  great  wealth  in  beaver  skins  to 
the  eastern  trading  posts.  The  Minquas  Path 
not  only  laid  foundations  for  Pennsylvania’s 
commercial  development.  It  also  provides  a key 
to  much  of  the  Commonwealth's  early  history. 
“The  struggle  by  Holland,  Sweden  and  Great 
Britain  for  the  possession  of  the  Delaware  River,” 
writes  George  P.  Donehoo,  “was  in  order  to  con- 
trol the  trade  with  the  Minquas  living  on  the 
Susquehanna.” 1 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  35 


65 


FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  the  site  of  Fort  Manayunk  on  the  Schuyl- 
kill (just  south  of  the  new  bridge  over  the 
Delaware  on  Pa.  291),  take  the  Penrose  Ferry 
Road  southwest  to  Island  Avenue,  and  follow  the 
latter  northwest  to  Blue  Ball  Tavern  and  the 
Old  Swedes  Mill  in  Darby.  Cross  Darby  Creek, 
take  L.  R.  23065  to  Aldan,  and  there  turn  left  on 
L.  R.  23068.  Make  the  best  way  you  can  west 
through  Swarthmore  to  Rose  Valley  and  Long 
Point  on  Ridley  Creek.  At  Long  Point  there  was 
once  a ford,  but  the  motorist  will  find  no 
bridge  here  now.  He  is  advised  to  go  the  best 
way  he  can  to  Pa.  352  and  take  it  to  Black  Horse 
and  Lima.  Beyond  Lima  continue  on  332,  which 
is  very  close  to  the  path,  into  Gradyville. 

It  is  not  possible  to  follow  the  path  closely 
by  road  from  Gradyville  through  the  southern 
outskirts  of  West  Chester  to  the  Brandywine. 
But  there  is  a road  along  the  West  Branch  of 
the  Brandywine  which  keeps  pretty  close  to  the 
trail  as  far  as  Mortonville.  From  there  go  as 
nearly  west  as  you  can  to  Briarton,  which  is  on 
L.  R.  15067 , and  Stottsville.  There  take  Pa.  372 
through  Parkesburg  to  Atglen.  Turn  right  on 
Pa.  41  to  Gap,  then  left  on  Pa.  741  (which  fol- 
lows the  path  closely)  through  Strasburg  to 
Lampeter.  From  Lampeter  continue  straight 
west  to  meet  U.  S.  222,  follow  it  west  for  about 
H/2  miles,  and  as  it  turns  north  leave  it  for  L.  R. 
36008.  At  this  point  you  are  about  i/2  mile  north 
of  Willow  Street,  through  which  the  path  ran. 
Follow  36008  for  about  4 miles,  and  then  turn 
left  (south)  past  Postlethwaite’s  house  for  Rock- 
hill,  where  the  Great  Minquas  Path  forded  Con- 
estoga Creek.  Cross  the  Conestoga  and  the  Little 
Conestoga  and  go  on  as  straight  west  as  you  can 
along  a ridge  overlooking  Indian  Run  from  the 
south,  rounding  the  head  of  the  run  to  Cress- 
well.  The  historic  Conestoga  Indian  Town  was 
about  a mile  east  of  Cresswell.  From  Cresswell, 
continue  on  L.  R.  36008  into  Washington  Boro. 

1 “The  Indians  of  the  Past  and  of  the  Present,”  Penn- 
sylvania Magazine  of  History  and  Biography,  XLVI 
(1922),  185. 


GREAT 

MINQUAS 

PATH 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  36 


66 


36.  Great  Shamokin  Path 

From  Sunbury  to  Kittanning 


The  Great  Shamokin  Path  ran  from  the  Forks 
of  the  Susquehanna  to  Kittanning  ("At  the  Great 
River”)  on  the  Allegheny. 

From  about  1718  until  the  French  and  Indian 
War,  Shamokin  was,  as  William  C.  Reichel  has 
described  it,  "the  most  important  Indian  town  in 
the  Province  of  Pennsylvania.”1  Because  of  its 
position,  commanding  important  canoe  routes 
and  Indian  highways,  the  Iroquois  made  it  the 
headquarters  of  their  “half  king”  or  viceroy  who 
supervised  the  Delawares  and  various  refugee 
groups  of  Indians  (Shawnees,  Tuscaroras,  Conoys, 
N antic okes,  etc.)  coming  up  from  the  south 
through  Pennsylvania  to  take  shelter  under  the 
Iroquois  "Tree  of  Peace.” 

Kittanning,  from  about  1780  to  its  destruction 
by  Colonel  John  Armstrong  in  1756,  was  "the 
largest  Indian  settlement  in  Pennsylvania,  west 
of  Shamokin.”2 

At  Shamokin  the  path  forded  the  North 
Branch  of  the  Susquehanna  by  way  of  Shamokin 
Island  to  Northumberland.  It  ran  up  the  east 
side  of  the  West  Branch  by  a route  Pa.  14  now 
follows  closely  as  far  as  Milton,  passing  on  the 
way  the  Shawnee  town  of  Chillisquaque,  situated 
on  the  north  bank  of  Chillisquaque  Creek  near 
its  mouth.  For  four  miles  beyond  the  creek,  the 
path  probably  kept  closer  to  where  the  railroad 
now  runs  (through  the  village  of  Montandon) 
than  to  Pa.  It. 

Passing  through  Milton,  the  great  Shamokin 
Path  continued  up  the  east  bank  of  the  Susque 
hanna,  leaving  Pa.  14  and  following  the  course 
taken  by  Pa.  403  to  Watsontown.  At  Watson- 
town  the  path  forked.  One  branch  continued  to 
follow  the  river  to  a point  opposite  Montgomery, 
where  it  turned  east  to  get  onto  the  ridge  that 
forms  the  boundary  between  Lycoming  and 
Northumberland  counties.  The  other  and  better- 
known  branch  ran  almost  straight  north  for  three 
miles  from  Watsontown  to  St.  John's  Church, 
where  it  bore  right  (northeast)  and  followed 
Delaware  Run  to  its  head  at  West  Point  School. 

Heie,  near  the  Fllis  farm,  was  fought  the 
battle  of  Muncy  Hills  in  September,  1763,  dur- 


ing Pontiac’s  War,  when  a body  of  a hundred  or 
more  men  from  Paxton  and  vicinity  was  defeated 
by  the  Indians.3  Descending  from  the  summit  of 
Muncy  Hill,  the  path  came  in  about  a mile  to 
the  "Mine"*  on  Mine  Run,  where  the  Indians 
are  said  to  have  quarried  the  soft,  shaly  "black 
slate"  which  they  used  for  paint.  Today  a factors 
at  Muncy  still  quarries  the  stone,  grinding  it 
down  to  make  a filler  for  black  paint.  A mile 
north  of  the  "paint  mine”  and  on  the  very  bank 
of  the  Susquehanna  River,  the  path  ran  close  b\ 
the  never-failing  Warrior  Spring. 

From  the  Warrior  Spring  the  path  veered  east 
to  run  through  the  Indian  town  at  Muncy- 
named  for  the  Munsee  Delawares  who  settled 
here  for  a time  on  their  way  west  after  the  Walk- 
ing Purchase.  It  forded  Muncy  Creek  about  three 
quarters  of  a mile  above  its  mouth,  crossed  Wolf 
Creek  (formerly  known  as  Mingo  Run)  5 within 
sight  of  an  old  Indian  fort. 

Hoc  lay  [wrote  Conrad  Weiser.  March 
'22,  1737,  on  his  way  to  Onondaga]  we 
passed  a place  where  the  Indians,  in  lor- 
mer  times,  had  a strong  fortification  on  a 
height.  It  was  surrounded  bv  a deep 
ditch;  the  earth  was  thrown  up  in  the 
shape  of  a wall,  about  nine  or  ten  feet,  and 
as  many  broad.  But  it  is  now  in  decay,  as 
from  appearance  it  had  been  deserted  be- 
yond the  memory  of  man.1’ 

From  the  crossing  of  Mingo  Run,  the  path  ran 
west  (still  following  the  Susquehanna  River, 
though  at  a little  distance)  to  Oistonwakin— now 
named  Montoursville  after  the  famous  Madame 
Montour  who  was  visited  here  by  Conrad  Weiser 
in  1737  and  by  Count  Zinzendorf  in  1712.  One 
could  ford  the  Loyalsock  here  when  the  water 
was  low,  but  when  the  mountain  snows  melted 
it  was  necessary,  as  Conrad  Weiser  found,  to 
borrow  a canoe.  I he  ford  was  by  way  of  Mon- 
tour’s Island.  West  of  here,  the  path  ran  through 
what  is  now  Williamsport. 

In  passing  over  the  ground  on  which 
Williamsport  stands  [writes  J.  F.  Megin- 
nessj  the  path  was  doubtless  located  where 
East  Third  Street  and  West  Fourth  Street 
are  laid  clown.  The  course  from  Third 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  36 


07 


and  Penn  streets  is  said  to  have  been  a 
little  north  of  the  present  Third  Street, 
following  an  elevated  piece  of  ground  near 
the  line  of  Willow  Street  and  as  fat  north 
as  Edwin  Street,  until  a point  was  reached 
near  Park  Avenue,  when  the  present 
Fourth  Street  was  followed  to  Lycoming 
Creek  and  French  Margaret’s  Town,  near 
the  mouth.7 

From  French  Margaret’s  Town  (which  is 
shown  on  Nicholas  Scull’s  Map  of  the  Improved 
Part  of  the  Province  of  Pennsylvania,  1759,  as  on 
the  west  bank  of  the  Lycoming) , the  path  pro- 
ceeded directly  west  at  a little  distance  from  the 
river  to  the  Indian  town  of  Quenashawakee  at 
the  mouth  of  what  is  now  known  as  Quenshu- 
keny  Run.  It  forded  Larry’s  Creek  near  its 
mouth,  passed  Jersey  Shore  and  the  Indian  clear- 
ings by  Pine  Creek,  and  forded  the  creek  about 
two  miles  above  its  mouth.  Then,  skirting  the 
old  Indian  settlement  of  Taquamingy,  it  came 
to  the  Great  Island  (Lock  Haven)  . 

Here,  at  the  junction  point  of  several  impor- 
tant Indian  paths,  it  forded  the  Susquehanna  and 
went  up  Bald  Eagle  Creek  (named  for  a Munsee 
Indian,  Bald  Eagle,  who  lived  at  Bald  Eagle’s 
Nest  [Milesburg])  following  a course  much  the 
same  as  that  now  taken  by  U.  S.  220,  through 
Flemington.  It  forded  Beech  Creek  and  ran  west 
for  about  a mile  and  a half  to  Marsh  Creek, 
where  it  turned  and  ran  up  its  north  bank  as  far 
as  Romola.  Thence  it  followed  Little  Marsh 
Creek  for  about  nine  miles  to  Yarned  and  began 
the  ascent  of  the  Allegheny  Front. 

Turning  west-northwest  at  Yarned,  it  took  a 
nearly  direct  course— 60  degrees  west  of  north— 
up  the  crest  of  a long  ridge  beginning  about  half 
a mile  east  of  the  late  Elmer  Powned’s  house,  and 
passed  a little  west  of  a deer  lick  two  miles  from 
Yarned.  A mile  farther  on,  it  bore  west  and  fol 
lowed  a course  close  to  that  of  Pa.  53.  It  passed 
the  place  where  Baptiste  Lucas  (according  to  his 
descendant,  R.  H.  Lucas  of  Clearfield,  R.  D.) 
laid  out  a farm  in  1801,  and  where  may  be  seen 
the  dead  trunks  of  apple  trees  whose  ancestors 
are  said  by  Mr.  Lucas  to  have  been  grown  from 
seed  supplied  by  Johnny  Appleseed,  who  passed 
this  way  en  route  to  the  West.  In  about  three 
miles  it  came  to  “Snow  Shoe  Camp  about  a Mile 
west  from  the  sleeping  Place  of  that  name,”8 
which  was  probably  where  Bishop  Ettwein  and 


GREAT  SHAMOKIN  PATH,  EAST 


To  Fronhstown  if  \ To  Standing  Ston« 


F>8 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  36 


his  party  "saw  the  hold  peaks  between  the  West 
Branch  and  the  Juniata.”9 

At  Moshannon,  the  path  forked,  the  two 
branches  leading  to  different  fords  of  Moshannon 
Creek.  According  to  R.  11.  Lucas,  "the  trail  going 
west  passed  exactly  where  the  church  in  the 
southern  outskirts  of  Moshannon  is.  Thence  it 
descended  to  the  valley,  where  the  modern  road. 
Pa.  53,  follows  it.  It  crossed  the  Black  Moshan- 
non at  a point  where  this  stream  swings  round 
the  bend  of  the  mountain  to  Post’s  Island,10 
where  it  crossed  the  Moshannon.”  Thence  it  is 
said  to  have  gone  up  Crawford  Run  to  Cooper 
Settlement  and  so,  as  Pa.  5 3 now  goes,  to  Kyler- 
town. 

The  other  path  crossed  the  Black  Moshannon 
a mile  and  a quarter  from  its  mouth,11  and  ran 
southwest  to  cross  the  Big  Moshannon  about  a 
mile  and  a quarter  (as  the  bird  flies)  south  of 
Post’s  Island  and  a mile  and  a half  south  of  Pa. 
53.  It  ascended  the  hill  beyond  the  Moshannon, 
and  ran  through  the  village  of  Grass  Flat  to  join 
the  other  path  at  Kylertown. 

I he  Moshannon  and  its  smaller  brother,  the 
Black  Moshannon  (formerly  known  as  the  Little 
Moshannon)  , 1 - were  awkward  streams  to  cross 
when  the  water  was  high.  Bishop  Ettwein  wrote 
in  his  diary  for  July  8,  1772:  “Advanced  six  miles 
(from  a camp  about  a mile  west  ol  Snow  Shoe]  to 
the  West  Moshannek  over  precipitous  and  ugly 
mountains,  and  through  two  nasty  rocky  streams. 
In  fording  the  second,  I fell  neck  deep  into  the 
water.  Had  it  been  at  any  other  season  of  the 
year,  we  could  not  have  endured  so  much  wading 
in  streams.”13  Travelers  by  the  Great  Shamokin 
Path,  in  order  to  save  themselves  from  these  diffi- 
cult crossings,  sometimes  avoided  the  Marsh 
Creek  and  Snow  Shoe  route  altogether  bv  making 
a wide  detour  up  Bald  Eagle  Creek  to  the  mouth 
of  Dicks  Run  (a  mile  and  a quarter  above 
IJnionville)  , taking  Bald  Eagle's  Path  west,  and 
(tossing  the  Moshannon  about  three  miles  south 
ol  Philipsburg. 

from  Kylertown  (where  the  two  branches 
from  Snow  Shoe  and  Moshannon  came  together 
again)  the  Great  Shamokin  Path  ran  west  by 
what  is  now  an  old  township  road  past  Black  Oak 
School.  About  a mile  west  of  Moravian  Run  (ac- 
cording to  Harold  D.  Woolridge  of  Clearfield, 


who  has  plotted  the  route  from  Post’s  Island  to 
Clearfield  Creek)  , there  was  a “sleeping  place” 
at  the  Big  Sand  Spring.  From  this  point  the  path 
ran  north  along  a ridge  to  Dale  Church  and  west 
on  the  same  ridge  past  Jackson  School.  It 
crossed  Valley  Fork  Run,  followed  another  ridge 
west  past  Bradford  Church,  and  ran  on  down  the 
tongue  of  the  ridge  past  the  Orvis  Woolridge 
farm  and  the  Golden  Rod  development  to  a 
camp  near  Clearfield  Creek. 

The  creek  was  forded  about  half  way  between 
Owens  Run  and  Roaring  Run,14  nearly  half  a 
mile  south  of  the  bridge  on  U.  S.  322.  Thence  it 
bore  slightly  north  of  west  as  it  ascended  the  hill 
and  ran  down  into  Chinklacamoose  (Clearfield) 
by  way  of  the  present  Fifth  Street.  An  alternate 
route15  crossed  Clearfield  Creek  about  where 
U.  S'.  322  crosses,  and  came  over  the  hill  to  Clear- 
field by  way  of  Pine  Street. 

Between  Chinklacamoose  and  the  mouth  of  An- 
derson Creek  (Gurwensville) , several  crossings  of 
the  Susquehanna  were  made  necessary,  as  Harold 
Woolridge  has  noted,  in  order  to  escape  the  high 
laurel  bushes,  which  were  a nightmare  to  travel- 
ers. Christian  Frederick  Post  in  1758  recorded 
crossing  the  river  six  times  in  this  seven-mile 
stretch;  Bishop  Ettwein  in  1772  ( rossed  it  three 
times  in  the  first  four  miles. 

From  Curwensville  the  path  ran  three  miles  up 
Anderson  Creek,  then  ascended  the  hill  to  the 
west,  and  continued  in  a northwesterly  direction 
along  the  summit  of  a ridge  which  is  now  fol- 
lowed by  Pa.  861  through  Chestnut  Grove  to 
Coal  Hill  School.  Here  the  modern  highway 
parts  from  the  old  path,  the  latter  running  paral- 
lel with  the  road  but  about  a quarter  of  a mile 
south  of  it  as  far  as  the  Big  Spring  in  the  vicinity 
of  Luthersburg.  The  spring  is  about  a third  of  a 
mile  southwest  of  the  junction  of  Pa.  410  with 
U.  S.  322  in  Luthersburg. 

There  was  a “Parting  of  the  Ways”  at  the  Big 
Spring.  Mead’s  Path  to  Venango  ran  northwest, 
while  the  Great  Shamokin  Path  ran  southwest. 
The  latter  crossed  Stump  Creek  in  about  a mile, 
and  then  ran  south  to  meet  the  East  Branch  of 
Mahoning  Creek,  which  it  followed  to  its  junc- 
tion with  Beaver  Run.  Crossing  Beaver  Run,  it 
appears  to  have  left  the  East  Branch,  run  south- 
west to  Stump  Creek,  and  followed  this  to  where 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  36 


69 


its  junction  with  the  East  Branch  formed  the  Big 
Mahoning.  The  Shamokin  Path  followed  the  lat- 
ter to  Bells  Mills  and  Punxsutawney. 

The  best  way  to  follow  the  path  from  Clear- 
held  through  Punxsutawney  as  far  west  as  Smicks- 
burg  is  to  trace  the  route  taken  by  Bishop  John 
Ettwein16  and  his  two  hundred  Indians  with 
their  cows,  on  removal  from  Friedenshiitten 
(Wyalusing)  on  the  North  Branch  of  the  Susque- 
hanna to  Friedensstadt  (Moravia)  on  the  Beaver 
River.  On  the  evening  of  July  17,  Ettwein  and 
his  party  camped  in  “a  narrow  and  stony  spot” 
at  the  mouth  of  Anderson  Creek  (Curwensville)  . 
Next  morning  they  left  the  West  Branch  and 
traveled  “three  miles  to  the  north-west  up  the 
creek,  crossing  it  five  times.  Efere  the  path  went 
precipitately  up  the  mountain.  . . .”  Ettwein  did 
not  give  the  miles  traveled  that  day,  but  noted 
that  they  camped  at  a spring.  This  was  probably 
at  Chestnut  Grove,  which  was  as  far  as  the  cows 
could  have  traveled  that  day.  The  rivulet  here 
he  mistakenly  called  “the  first  waters  of  the 
Ohio”— no  doubt  because  it  was  running  west 
where  he  saw  it,  and  he  could  not  know  that  it 
soon  turned  south  to  enter  the  Susquehanna  at 
Bells  Run. 

After  spending  Sunday,  July  19th,  here-in 
quiet  but  not  in  peace,  because  of  the  “punkies” 
which  gave  the  region  an  evil  name— they  trav- 
eled five  miles  “through  the  swamp”  to  where 
their  path,  as  he  said,  “crossed”  the  path  to 
Goschgoschink  and  the  upper  Allegheny.  Five 
miles  from  Chestnut  Grove  would  bring  them  to 
the  Big  Spring,  where  the  path  to  Venango  and 


Goschgoschink  forks  from  the  path  to  Kittan- 
ning. It  is  probable  that  Ettwein  mistook  the 
separation  of  the  two  paths  for  a crossroad. 

Two  miles  beyond  this  “parting  of  the  ways” 
at  the  Big  Spring,  they  camped  at  a small  run  at 
the  head  of  the  East  Branch  of  Mahoning  Creek. 
Next  day,  July  21,  they  “proceeded  six  miles  to 
the  first  creek”:  i.e.,  in  a southwesterly  direction 
past  the  old  East  Branch  School  and  Schlimmer 
School  to  Stump  Creek,  which  they  forded  about 
a mile  beyond  the  latter  school.  On  July  22,  they 
“journeyed  on  four  miles  [via  Stump  Creek  and 
Mahoning  Creek],  to  the  first  fork,  where  a small 
creek  comes  down  from  the  north.”  This  would 
probably  be  Big  Run.  On  July  23,  they  traveled 
another  “four  miles  to  the  second  fork— to  a creek 
coming  in  from  the  south-east.”  This  would  be 
Canoe  Creek,  which  enters  Mahoning  Creek  at 
Cloe. 

Here,  on  July  24,  they  left  Mahoning  Creek 
and  went  “over  valleys  and  heights  to  a spring," 
thankful  to  have  at  last  got  rid  of  the  “ponkis.” 
The  spring  at  which  they  camped  after  a stint  of 
five  miles  was  probably  in  the  vicinity  of  Dutch 
Run,  about  a mile  and  a half  south  of  Fordham. 
On  July  25  they  advanced  another  five  miles  and 
camped  at  a salt  lick,  probably  about  two  miles 
west  of  Trade  City,  on  Pa.  934.  Sunday  the  26th 
they  lay  by,  fishing  and  exploring  the  country 
round  them.  On  the  27th  they  proceeded  four 
miles  “over  a long  mountain  to  Tschachkat” 
(Smicksburg?)  , “where  the  path  from  Ligonier 
[to  Goschgoschink]  passes  north,  then  four  miles 
over  a mountain  to  a creek  coming  from  the 


70 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  36 


south-west  [Glade  Run  at  Dayton]  and  then  one 
mile  to  a small  run.” 

Bishop  Ettwein's  party  had  before  this  left  the 
direct  route  from  Shamokin  to  Kittanning.  After 
climbing  a hill  (where  the  modern  road  runs) 
west  of  Smicksburg,  they  had  come  to  a parting 
of  the  ways.  They  took  the  northern  fork,  thus 
leaving  the  main  branch  of  the  Great  Shamokin 
Path,  no  doubt  in  order  to  save  themselves  some 
miles  on  the  long  journey  to  the  Kuskuskies 
(New  Castle  and  vicinity)  . They  found  a good 
ford  of  the  Allcghenv  River  not  far  above  the  In- 
dian town  of  "Kawunt.se  honnink.” 

Ettwein  tells  us  that  his  party  struck  the  river 
about  eight  miles  above  Kittanning.  It  is  not 
unlikely  that  there  was  a path  from  that  point 
south  to  Kittanning.  But  there  must  have  been 
a more  direct  path  from  Punxsutawney  and 
Smicksburg.  During  the  French  and  Indian  Wai 
Kittanning  was  an  important  Delaware  settle- 
ment and  warriors  used  the  path  to  Punxsu- 
tawney and  Shamokin,  surely  without  such  a 
detour  as  that  to  Cowanshannock  on  the  Alle- 
gheny. The  white  man  early  made  a road  (shown 
on  Melish’s  map  of  Pennsylvania,  1822)  running- 
east  from  Kittanning,  which  crossed  Cowanshan- 
nock Greek  in  about  a mile  and  a half,  continued 
east  on  the  ridge  between  the  Cowanshannock 
and  the  South  Fork  of  Pine  Creek,  and  ran 
through  the  hamlet  ol  West  Valley  to  the  head 
waters  of  both  creeks.  It  crossed  Little  Mahoning 
Greek  in  the  vicinity  of  Smicksburg  and  reached 
Canoe  Creek  a trifle  south  of  Punxsutawney  at 
or  near  Cloe.  This  would  have  made  a good  dr\ 
Indian  path. 

Another  likely  route— one  that  was  used  in 
stage-coach  days— ran  west  from  the  “parting  of 
the  ways”  (three  quarters  of  a mile  west  of 
Smicksburg),  tame  through  Barnards  and  Rural 
Valiev,  and  followed  Cowanshannock  Creek. 
Barnards  on  the  old  coach  road  is  replete  with 
Indian  tradition.  Vccorcling  to  John  M.  Kirk- 
patrick17 there  was  an  Indian  settlement  back  of 
Barnards  as  late  as  the  1820's.  His  father  (born 
in  182.'i)  while  still  a small  boy  was  once  taken 
by  the  Indians  to  visit  an  old  woman  in  their 
village  up  in  the  hollow. 

The  Cowanshannock  Creek  branch  of  the 
Great  Shamokin  Path  kept  to  the  north  side  ol 


the  stream  to  the  crossing,  which  was  about  two 
miles  east  of  Kittanning.  Thence  it  ran  almost 
straight  west,  probably,  according  to  Perry  King 
of  Kittanning,  coming  down  the  dry  valley  of 
Truby  Run  and  passing  just  north  of  the  present 
courthouse  to  Jacobs’  cabin. 

Jacobs’  cabin  was  in  1756,  at  the  time  of  Arm- 
strong’s attack,  the  focus  of  the  Indian  town. 
Harry  Flemming  of  West  Kittanning  is  authority 
for  the  tradition  that  “Jacobs’  cabin  was  on  the 
site  of  the  present  Alexandra  Hotel,  on  the  north 
side  of  Market  Street  about  a block  and  a half 
west  of  (below)  the  courthouse.” 

“The  ford  at  Kittanning,”  continues  Mr.  Flem- 
ming, “was  about  a hundred  yards  north  of  the 
Market  Street  Bridge.  We  kids  used  to  lock  arms 
and  cross.  At  places  you  had  to  go  on  tiptoes. 
In  slack  water  the  river  could  be  forded  almost 
any  place.” 

An  Indian  path  ran  west  from  Kittanning 
through  Butler  to  the  Kuskuskies. 

The  Cowanshannock  branch  gave  the  traveler 
the  advantage  of  easy  grades,  but  it  would  be 
difficult  in  wet  weather,  because  the  valley  is  flat 
and  the  path  is  crossed  by  many  small  streams 
coming  down  off  the  hills.  The  early  settlers, 
who  used  both  routes,  may  have  inherited  from 
the  Indians  a choice  of  roads  for  the  changing 
seasons. 

I he  Shamokin  Path  as  a thoroughfare  between 
the  Susquehanna  and  the  Allegheny  rivers  was 
better  known  among  the  Indians  than  among  the 
white  people.  Charles  A.  Hanna  tvas  of  the  opin- 
ion that  the  Great  Shamokin  Path  was  probably 
“the  earliest  path  used  by  the  Pennsylvania  In- 
dians in  their  journeys  from  the  Susquehanna 
to  the  Ohio.”18  But  after  1745  it  dropped  out  of 
use— until,  that  is,  the  French  and  Indian  War 
brought  Delaware  and  Shawnee  warriors  back 
over  it  in  an  attempt  to  recover  the  eastern  lands 
they  had  lost. 

This  was  the  path  over  whic  h Barbara  Leinin- 
ger  and  Marie  Le  Roy,  captured  near  Shamokin 
(Sunbury)  cm  October  6,  1755,  were  taken  to 
Kittanning.19  They  stopped  lor  ten  days  at  “Jen- 
kiklamuhs,  a Delaware  town,”  and  for  five  days 
at  “Puncksotonay.”  On  reaching  Kittanning,  the 
girls  received  the  customary  “welcome”  accorded 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  36 


71 


to  prisoners.  “It  consisted  of  three  blows  each  on 
the  back.  They  were,  however,  administered  with 
great  mercy.  Indeed,  we  concluded  that  we  were 
beaten  merely  in  order  to  keep  up  an  ancient 
usage  and  not  with  the  intention  of  injuring  us.” 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  Sunbury  take  Pa.  14  north  through  Mil- 
ton.  Three  quarters  of  a mile  beyond  Milton, 
leave  14  and  continue  north  on  Pa.  405  to  Wat- 
sontown.  There  turn  right  on  L.  R.  49061.  Fol- 
low it  for  about  a mile  to  where  it  forks.  Take 
the  left  branch  (straight  ahead)  and  follow  this 
township  road  for  about  1 1/2  miles  to  its  junction 
with  L.  R.  49062.  Follow  the  latter  for  a little 
over  4 miles  to  the  summit  of  Muncy  Hill  and 
the  Lycoming  County  line,  where  the  road 
changes  its  number  to  L.  R.  41062. 

Follow  41062  (which  for  several  miles  lies  a 
few  hundred  yards  west  of  the  path)  into  Muncy. 
There  turn  left  on  Pa.  14,  which  soon  merges 
with  U.  S.  220.  Continue  on  220  through  Mon- 
toursville,  Williamsport,  Linden,  and  Jersey 
Shore  to  Lock  Haven  (the  Great  Island)  and  on 
up  Bald  Eagle  Creek  to  Blanchard.  There  turn 
right  on  L.  R.  14009  and  follow  it  up  Marsh 
Creek  to  Romola  and  up  Little  Marsh  Creek  to 
Yarnell. 

It  is  not  possible  for  the  motorist  to  follow  the 
Great  Shamokin  Path  as  it  climbed  the  Allegheny 
Front.  But,  if  you  care  for  an  exciting  mountain 
drive,  you  will  enjoy  the  winding  road  which 
keeps  in  the  general  proximity  of  the  path  from 
Yarnell  to  Rhodes.  A simpler  plan,  however, 
would  be  to  continue  on  L.  R.  14009  from  Yar- 
nell to  its  junction  with  Pa.  53,  there  turn  right, 
and  run  west  to  Rhodes. 

From  Rhodes  continue  on  Pa.  53  (which  is 
never  very  far  from  the  old  path)  through  Snow 
Shoe  and  Moshannon.  The  highway  crosses 
Moshannon  Creek  about  half  a mile  north  of 
Post's  Island.  Road  and  path  are  almost  identical 
lor  a distance  of  about  1 \/2  miles  between  Drift- 
ing and  Drain  Lick.  Then  the  path  leaves  53 
and  runs  for  9 miles  along  the  ridge  north  of  it. 

Beyond  Kylertown,  as  you  approach  the  valley 
of  Moravian  Run  leave  Pa.  53,  which  here  turns 
sharply  south,  and  continue  west  on  Pa.  153  to 
its  junction  with  U.  S.  322.  Turn  right  on  322 


and  follow  it  to  Clearfield.  At  the  crossing  of 
Clearfield  Creek,  322  breaks  away  from  the  old 
path.  Instead  of  going  over  the  hill  behind  the 
town  as  the  path  did,  the  modern  highway  fol- 
lows Clearfield  Creek  around  the  base  of  the  hill. 
There  are  roads  over  the  hill,  but  none  of  them 
follows  the  old  path  very  closely. 

From  Clearfield  continue  on  U . S.  322  through 
Curwensville  and  Chestnut  Grove  to  Luthers- 
burg.  There  leave  322  and  turn  left  (southwest) 
on  Pa.  410.  From  the  Parting  of  the  Ways  at  the 
Big  Spring,  Pa.  410  follows  the  old  path  closely 
for  about  2 miles,  but  by  the  time  the  modern 
road  reaches  Troutville  it  is  i/2  mile  or  more  west 
of  the  path.  About  2 miles  beyond  Troutville, 
road  and  path  come  together  again.  In  another 
II/2  miles,  410  merges  with  U.  S.  119,  which  you 
will  follow  for  the  next  dozen  miles. 

At  Bells  Mills,  U.  S.  119  leaves  the  Shamokin 
Path  (which  ran  through  Cloe)  and  passes 
through  Punxsutawney,  there  turning  south  to 
pick  up  the  Indian  path  again  about  2 miles  be- 
yond the  town  and  follow  it  for  1 1/2  miles.  About 
t/2  mile  after  119  passes  the  junction  with  Pa.  210, 
turn  right  on  a township  road.  This  follows  the 
path  for  about  1 1/2  miles  to  Dutch  Run,  and 
there  comes  into  Pa.  210.  Go  west  on  210  to 
Trade  City.  There  take  Pa.  954  west,  and  follow 
it  to  Smicksburg. 

From  Smicksburg  it  is  impossible  to  tollow 
Bishop  Ettwein’s  route  by  motor  car.  The  motor- 
ist is  advised  to  take  the  shortest  route  to  Kittan- 
ning. That  is  by  L.  li.  32097 , which  becomes 
L.  R.  03074  on  crossing  from  Jefferson  into  Arm- 
strong County.  At  Barnards  (about  \i/2  miles 
west  of  the  county  line)  03074  turns  into  Pa.  839, 
and  this  latter  road  in  about  2i/2  miles  runs  into 
Pa.  85.  Follow  85  to  Kittanning. 

1 Memorials  of  the  Moravian  Church,  William  C. 
Reichel,  ed.  (Philadelphia,  1870)  , I,  66. 

2 George  P.  Donehoo,  Indian  Villages  and  Place  Names 
in  Pennsylvania  (Harrisburg,  1928)  , 82. 

’For  the  exact  location,  see  Warrantee  Survey  C 234 
135:  to  Samuel  Titmus,  318  acres  "Situate  on  the  old 
Indian  Path  [which  is  here  shown]  Leading  over  Muncy 
Hill  and  joining  the  Battle  ground."  For  a history  of  the 
encounter,  see  T.  Kenneth  Wood,  “The  Battle  of  Muncy 
Hills."  Now  and  Then,  IV,  105-111. 

1 Survey  dated  1768,  Draft  of  Old  Manors,  p.  20.  Bureau 
of  Land  Records,  Harrisburg. 

’See  Warrantee  Survey  D 62-19,  which  shows  "Wolf 
Run  or  Mingo.” 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  36-37 


* Paul  Wallace,  Conrad  W riser,  Friend  of  Colonist  and 
Mohawk  Philadelphia,  1945)  . 80. 

J I Meginncs.s,  Otzinachson:  ,4  History  of  the  ll’est 
Branch  Pulley  of  the  Susquehanna  Williamsport.  1889)  . 
90. 

"Warrantee  Survey  G ill. 

’Pennsylvania  Magazine  of  History  and  Iliogra  f>hy, 
XXV  (1901)  . 212. 

' "Christian  Frederick  Post  is  said  to  have  forded  the 
M •shannon  here  on  his  journey  in  1758  to  Venango 
Warrantee  Survey  \ 77  101. 

•See  Reading  Howells  Map  of  the  State  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. I7'>2.  and  also  Warrantee  Survey  \ 77-101. 

"Pennsylvania  Magazine  of  History  and  Biography, 
XXV  (1901)  . 213. 


“ Warrantee  Survey  D 17-152. 

i;  Suggested  he  Warrantee  Survey  D 17-152. 

Rev  John  Ettwcin  s Notes  of  Travel  from  the  North 
Branch  of  the  Susquehanna  to  the  Beaver  River,  Penn- 
sylvania. 17/2.  John  W.  Jordan,  ed.,  Pennsylvania  Maga- 
zine of  History  and  Biography , XXV  (1901),  208-219. 

Interviewed  by  the  writer,  in  company  with  Mr.  Perry 
king  of  Kittanning,  September  27,  1962. 

"The  Wilderness  Trail  (New  York,  1911),  I.  247. 
"The  Narrative  of  Marie  Lc  Roy  and  Barbara 
I.eininger"  appears  in  an  English  translation  in  Penn- 
sylvania Archives.  Second  Series.  VII  (Harrisburg,  1878), 
‘101-412.  It  is  quoted  at  length  by  W.  J.  McKnight,  in 
I Pioneer  History  of  Jefferson  County.  Pennsylvania 
(Philadelphia,  1898),  33-40. 


37.  (heat  Warriors  Path 

From  Athens  to  Sun  bury 


At  Tioga  (Athens)  the  Great  Warriors  Path 
was  fed  by  Indian  highways  from  all  parts  of  the 
Six  Nations  home  country,  which  at  one  time 
extended  from  the  Hudson  River  to  Niagara.  At 
Shamokin  (Sunbury)  there  were  several  off- 
shoots: the  Great  Shamokin  Path  to  Kittannintj, 
the  Penns  Greek  Path  to  Frankstown,  the  Tusca- 
rora  Path  to  North  Carolina,  the  Paxtang  Path 
to  Harrisburg,  and  the  Tulpchockcn  Path  to 
Philadelphia.  I he  Great  Warriors  Path  was  used 
not  only  in  war  but  also  in  peace.  It  was  the 
designated  road  for  Iroquois  ambassadors  travel- 
ing south  to  “brighten  the  chain  of  friendship" 
with  brother  Onas  at  Philadelphia  or  with  Mary- 
land and  Virginia  at  Lancaster. 

From  Tioga  the  Great  Warriors  Path  crossed 
the  Chemung  River,  ran  south  past  Queen 
Esther's  1 own  (between  Greene’s  Landing  and 
Milan),  and  about  a mile  below  Milan  crossed 
'he  Susquehanna  to  the  east  bank.  Running 
south  through  Old  Shcshequin  Flats  (opposite 
the  Indian  town  of  Sheshequin,  now  Ulster) , it 
went  on  for  another  six  miles  before  ascending 
Breakneck  Hill  opposite  Towanda.  It  continued 
on  the  east  bank,  here  and  there  str, tightening  its 
course,  however,  in  order  to  avoid  some  of  the 
deep  loops  which  the  river  makes  between  To- 
wanda and  the  big  bend  at  Lackawanna. 

\ few  miles  below  Wysox,  it  climbed  the  Wva- 
lusing  Rocks  and  in  a mile  and  a half  came  to 
the  Indian  town  of  \\  yalusing,  near  which  the 
Moravians  built  in  176a  the  model  Indian  town 


of  Friedenshutten.  After  passing  Tunkhannock, 
Buttermilk  Falls,  and  Wyalutimunk  (Old  Man's 
Town) , the  path  reached  Lackawanna  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Lackawanna  Rivet.  It  crossed  the 
creek  to  Pittston,  forded  the  Susquehanna  River, 
and  followed  the  west  bank  the  rest  of  the  way. 
It  passed  Forty  Fort  and  the  site  of  the  Battle  of 
Wyoming.  Opposite  Wyoming  Indian  Town 
(\\  ilkes-Barre)  it  passed  a Mahican  settlement 
and  below  it,  at  Plymouth,  a Shawnee  settlement, 
sometimes  known  as  Paxinosa’s  Town.  A few 
miles  below  this,  travelers  by  the  Great  Warriors 
Path  may  have  seen  remains  of  the  town  of  Nan- 
ticoke,  which  was  occupied  by  the  Nanticoke 
Indians  from  17-18  to  1753. 

Hemmed  in  between  the  river  and  Shickshinny 
Mountain,  the  path  ran  on  to  a Munsee  settle- 
ment, Neolegan's  (Newallika’s)  Town  at  the 
mouth  of  Shickshinny  Creek.  Continuing  down 
the  west  side  opposite  the  Indian  town  of  Mocan- 
aqua,  the  path  came  In  Indian  fields  and  cabins 
to  a point  opposite  Wapwallopen  and  so  on  to 
what  is  now  Berwick,  opposite  the  Indian  town 
of  Nescopeck.  At  the  mouth  of  Briar  Creek  it 
came  to  several  villages,  each  one  of  which  was 
known  .it  some  time  as  Nutimus’  Town.1 

Running  on  through  a Shawnee  town  at 
Bloomsburg  and  crossing  Fishing  Creek,  the 
Great  Warriors  Path  kept  inland  to  avoid  a wide 
river  curve.  It  came  to  the  mouth  of  Mahoning 
Creek  at  Danville.  From  there  it  followed  the 
river  to  Northumberland.  Crossing  the  East 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  37 


GREAT  WARRIORS  PATH 


74 


INDIA X PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  37-38 


Branch  by  way  of  Shamokin  Island,  it  came  to 
Shamokin  Indian  Town. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  Athens  take  /..  R.  08077  south  along  the 
east  bank  of  the  Susquehanna  to  North  Towanda, 
where  the  road  crosses  to  the  west  bank.  There 
take  U . S.  0.  In  about  2 miles  0 crosses  from 
Towanda  to  the  east  bank.  Follow  it  through 
Wysox,  over  Wyalusing  Rocks,  and  through  the 
towns  of  Wyalusing  and  Meshoppen  to  Tunk- 
hannock. 

At  Tunkhannock,  take  Pn.  92  and  follow  it  to 
Falls,  site  of  the  exquisite  Buttermilk  Falls. 
There  leave  Pa.  92,  which  crosses  to  the  west  side, 
and  take  the  country  road  running  south  along 
the  east  bank  as  the  Great  Warriors  Path  did. 
Follow  the  road  down  the  east  bank  through 
Ransom  and  at  the  loot  of  Campbell  Ledge  to 


cross  the  Lackawanna  River  into  Pittston. 

At  Pittston  pick  up  U.  S.  11,  cross  the  river, 
and  tollow  II  through  Kingston,  West  Nanti- 
coke,  Shickshinnv.  Berwick,  Bloomsburg  and 
Danville  to  Northumberland.  There  take  Pa.  14 
across  the  East  Branch  to  Sunbury. 

A quicker  but  less  close  following  of  the  Great 
Warriors  Path  would  be  to  take  U.  S.  220  and 
6 from  Athens  through  Towanda  to  Tunkhan- 
nock, there  take  Pa.  92,  follow  it  to  West  Pitts- 
ton, and  from  that  point  follow  U.  S.  11  as  be- 
fore. 

'See  \pplication  No.  II  i New  Purchase),  to  John 
Hoofnaglc:  "On  the  West  side  of  the  North  East  Branch 
of  Susquehanna,  Beginning  about  half  a Mile  below  the 
place  where  the  Old  Nutimess  lived  (about  4 miles 
below  Niscopcck  falls)  and  extending  up  the  Riser  about 
■ , Of  a mile  including  the  said  place.”  See  also  Survey 
A (i-284:  ".  . . including  the  Old  fields  on  the  South 

West  side  of  Rahawanishoning  or  Briar  (reek.”  See 
further  Nicholas  Scull's  map  of  Pennsylvania,  1759. 


38.  Hays  Mill  Path 


From  Somerset  to  Cumberland,  Md. 


I he  Hays  Mill  Path  was  the  common  name  of 
a packer  s path,  said  to  have  been  an  Indian  path, 
which  ran  from  the  Glades  of  Cox’s  Creek  near 
Somerset  to  Fort  Cumberland.  On  warrantee  sur- 
veys it  was  called  “the  path  leading  from  Simon 
Hays  Mill  to  Fort  Cumberland”  (C  229-68)  or 
‘‘the  Old  Path  leading  from  the  Glades  to  Fort 
C annbcrland  (( 1 20  1 1 19)  . 

Vccording  to  William  II.  Welfley,  in  his  his- 
tory of  Somerset  County,  it  left  the  Glades  near 
where  Ankeny's  Mill  was  built  (just  south  of 
Somerset)  and  went  out  “by  way  of  the  locality 
known  as  Break  Neck.”1  South  of  Berlin  it  took 
a course  roughly  parallel  with  that  of  the  Plank 
Road  (still  so  designated)  crossing  Blue  Lick 
Creek  at  Hays  Mill  and  joining  the  Plank  Road 
on  the  Allegheny  Mountain.  Immediately  after 
the  junction,  it  is  shown  in  the  vicinity  of  Pleas- 
ant Union.2 

There  is  some  question  about  its  course  from 
that  point.  About  a mile  below  the  summit  of 
the  Allegheny  Mountain,  there  was  a fork.  One 
branch  went  south,  very  nearly  as  Pa.  160  does, 


to  Wellersburg  and  Barrelsville.  then  turned  east 
to  Corriganville.  There  it  met  the  Warriors  Path 
from  Raystown  and  turned  south  with  it  for 
Wills  Creek  (Cumberland)  . Welfley  thinks  the 
I lavs  Mill  Path  crossed  the  Maryland  border  in 
the  neighborhood  of  Korn’s  Mill,  which  is  not 
far  from  Wellersburg. 

The  so-called  Cumberland  Road,  on  the  other 
hand,  which  is  often  confused  with  the  Hays  Mill 
Path,  took  the  other  branch  of  the  fork,  running 
east  and  descending  the  deep  valley  of  Gladdens 
Run  to  meet  the  Warriors  Path  (Pa.  96)  at  Palo 
Alto. 

FOR  I HE  MOTORIST 

A general  view  of  the  terrain  traversed  by  this 
path  may  be  had  if  one  takes  the  Plank  Road, 
U.  S.  219,  to  Berlin  and  Pa.  160  from  Berlin 
south.  Pa.  160  passes  a mile  east  of  Hays  Mill.  A 
detour  may  easily  be  made  to  Hays  Mill  by  tak- 
ing the  right  fork  (about  4 miles  south  of  Berlin) 
on  L.  R.  35137,  which  in  a little  over  a mile  will 
bring  you  to  the  place.  From  there  take  a town- 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  38-39 


ship  road  south  to  rejoin  Pa.  160  in  about  2yz 
miles  on  the  summit  of  the  Allegheny  Mountain. 

About  7 or  8 miles  farther  on,  160  crosses  Little 
Savage  Mountain  to  Pleasant  Union.  A mile  or 
so  east  of  the  Little  Savage  crest,  160  makes  an 
acute  angle,  almost  reversing  itself.  Here  are  the 
forks.  For  the  Wellersburg  route,  turn  sharply 
right  (south)  and  continue  on  160  into  Mary- 
land. 

For  the  Palo  Alto  route,  go  east  and  descend 
into  the  valley  of  Gladdens  Run.  Follow  the 
valley  road  past  Gladdens  and  through  the  gap 
in  Little  Allegheny  Mountain  to  meet  Pa.  96  at 
Palo  Alto.  Turn  right  (south)  on  96  for  the 
Maryland  line,  Corriganville,  the  Narrows  of 
Wills  Creek,  and  Cumberland. 

1 History  of  Bedford  and  Somerset  Counties,  Pennsyl- 
va  n :a , William  H.  Koontz,  ed.  (New  York,  1906)  , II, 
195. 

? See  Bedford  County  Warrants,  S 4S1  (John  Stoner), 
“on  both  sides  of  the  road  from  Simon  Hays  Mill  to  Cum- 
berland on  a head  of  Jennings’s  Run.”  See  also  the 
ensuing  Warrantee  Survey  D 5-158,  on  which  this  high- 
way is  marked  “Plank  Road.” 

39.  Horseheads  Path 

From  Grover  to  Elmira  and  Horseheads,  N.  Y. 

North  of  Williamsport  and  Montoursville,  the 
Horseheads  Path  branched  off  the  Sheshequin 
Path  at  Grover,  at  the  head  of  Lycoming  Creek, 
where  the  Sheshequin  Path  turned  east. 

From  Grover  it  ran  north  to  Canton  and  Troy, 
crossed  Sugar  Creek,  and  ran  up  the  valley  of 
Wolf  Creek  through  Columbia  Cross  Roads.  It 
forded  the  Chemung  River  at  the  Indian  town  of 
Kanawohalla  (Elmira,  N.  Y.)  , and  went  on  to 
Horseheads,  five  miles  north  of  Elmira.  From 
Horseheads  the  main  path  ran  north  to  Seneca 
Lake,  while  a branch  ran  northeast  to  Cayuga 
Lake. 

The  path  is  described  in  the  first  issue  of  the 
Chemung  County  Historical  Journal A “.  . . a 
branch  of  the  Lycoming  [Sheshequin]  trail  . . . 
came  up  from  Pennsylvania  along  Route  14 
through  Canton  and  Troy  and  down  South  Creek 
to  Seely  Creek,  thence  north  along  Pennsylvania 
Avenue  and  Sly  Street  to  the  Chemung  River. 
After  crossing  the  river,  the  trail  continued 


northward  along  Sullivan  Street,  thence  along 
the  Lake  Road  to  Horseheads.  Here  one  trail 
went  northeastward  along  Route  13  to  Ithaca, 


HORSEHEADS  PATH 


I.XDIAX  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Xus.  39-40 


76 

while  the  other  continued  northward  along 
Route  I I to  Montour  Falls.  At  this  place  the 
trail  divided,  one  branch  going  down  the  east 
side  of  Seneca  Lake  along  present  Route  414,  the 
other,  down  the  west  side  of  the  lake  along 
Route  11.” 

FOR  FHF  MOTORIST 

From  Williamsport,  follow  Pa.  II  all  the  way 
through:  to  Grover,  Canton,  Alba,  Troy,  Colum- 
bia Cross  Roads,  Klmira,  and  Horseheads. 

' Yol.  I.  So.  I (September,  1955). 

40.  Ichsua  Path 

From  Port  Allegany  to  Olean 

I he  Ichsua  Rath  was  a continuation  ol  the 
Sinnemahoning  Path  (from  the  Lock  Haven  to 
Emporium)  and  the  Portage  Path  (from  Em- 
porium to  the  Canoe  Place  at  or  near  Port  Alle- 
gany) . 1 he  Adlum  Wallis  map  of  1793  or  '94 

shows  a path  from  the  Canoe  Place  following  the 
east  side  of  the  Allegheny  River  to  the  vicinity 
of  Elclred.  Fording  the  river,  it  crossed  Indian 
Creek  at  what  is  still  known  as  Indian  Crossing, 
and  went  over  the  hills  to  ford  the  Allegheny 
again  just  above  the  mouth  of  Ichsua  Creek  and 
so  enter  the  town  of  Ichsua  (Olean)  . 

FOR  1111  MOTOR  1 Si 

From  Port  Mlegam  take  Pa.  1 55  to  the  north 
end  of  Eldred  Koto.  I here  turn  left  on  Pa.  116. 
cross  the  Allegheny  Rivet,  and  in  less  than  a mile 
turn  sharp  right  for  the  New  York  border  and 
Olean  ( 1 1 listia)  . 


ICHSUA  PATH 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  41 


41.  Juniata  Path 

From  Dalmatia  to  Lewistown 


From  McKee’s  Upper  Trading  Post  (Dalma- 
tia) the  Juniata  Path  (often  known  as  McKee’s 
Path)  forded  the  Susquehanna  to  what  is  still 
known  as  McKee’s  Half  Falls.  From  there  the 
path  ran  west  to  Delaware  Creek  and  Thompson- 
town  on  the  Juniata,  then  followed  the  river  to 
Kishacoquillas  (Lewistown)  . Continuing  along 
the  Juniata  past  Mount  Union,  it  joined  the 
Frankstown  Path  at  Jack’s  Narrows. 

Bishop  Cammerhoff  in  1748,  traveling  north 
by  the  Paxtang  Path,  stopped  at  a house  (prob- 
ably McKee’s)  a short  distance  beyond  the  mouth 
of  Wiconisco  Creek  and  was  informed  that  across 
the  river  “began  the  Great  Path  to  the  Allegheny 
country.”1  Among  traders  heading  west  during 
the  early  eighteenth  century  and  before  the 
Forbes  Road  had  improved  the  Raystown  Path, 
McKee’s  Path  was  popular  because  it  avoided  the 
heavy  mountain  climbing  encountered  south  of 
the  Juniata  on  the  Frankstown  and  Raystown 
paths. 


The  Mahonoy  Path  and  the  Frankstown  Path, 
each  of  which  followed  the  Juniata  for  some  dis- 
tance, were  also  sometimes  called  the  Juniata 

Path. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  McKee’s  Half  Falls  (opposite  Dalmatia 
and  about  7 miles  north  of  Liverpool)  take  U . S. 
11  and  U.  S.  15  south.  Cross  Mahantango  Creek, 
and  in  about  li/2  miles  turn  west  on  L.  R.  34060. 
Follow  this  road  for  about  3 miles,  turn  left 
(south)  on  L.  R.  34012,  and  stay  with  it  to  its 
junction  with  Pa.  235.  In  about  2 miles  bear  left 
on  a township  road  for  Dimmsville.  There  take 
L.  R.  34009,  follow  it  for  about  a mile,  and  then 
turn  right  on  L.  R.  34017  for  Goodville.  At 
Goodville  turn  left  on  a township  road  which  in 
a little  over  2 miles  meets  L.  R.  275.  Turn  left  on 
this  road  down  Delaware  Creek  for  Thompson- 
town.  At  Thompsontown  turn  right  on  U.  S.  22 
and  follow  it  through  Lewistown  to  Jack’s  Nar- 
rows and  Huntingdon. 


JUNIATA  PATH 


IX WAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  42—43 


78 


42.  Kersey  Road 

y 

From  nr  nr  I.uthersburg  to  the  head  of  Elk  Creek 

The  Kerse\  Road— which,  according  to  George 
C.  Kirk,1  followed  an  Indian  path— branched  off 
the  Great  Shamokin  Path  some  fifteen  miles  west 
of  Clearfield  and  lour  and  one-half  miles  east  of 
Luthcrsburg.  It  ran  north  to  the  headwaters  of 
Elk  Creek. 

YV  J Me  Knight  writes:  "The  road  [laid  out 
about  1812!  . . . passed  through  the  woods  over 
Boon’s  Mountain,  crossed  Little  Toby’s  Creek, 
without  a bridge,  where  I It  lien  Mills  now  stand, 
followed  up  the  creek  seven  miles  to  the  point 
of  Hogback  Hill,  up  which  it  went,  though  steep 
and  difficult,  continued  over  the  high  and  un- 
dulating grounds  to  the  spot  which  had  been 
selected  for  a mill  site  on  a stream  which  was 
afterwards  called  Elk  Creek,  where  the  mill  was 
built,  about  two  miles  from  the  present  Centre- 
v i 1 1 e . ” 2 

' Pioneer  History  of  Bradv  Township,  Clearfield 
County,  Pennsylvania,”  DuBois  Courier  and  Daily  Ex- 
[n v.sn.  August,  1929. 

I Pioneer  Outline • History  of  Xortliwestern  Pcnnsyl- 
vanin  Philadelphia.  IhO.a)  , 498. 


43.  KishacocpuUas  Path 

From  Milesburg  to  Lew  is  town 

This  path  was  named  for  a Shawnee  chief, 
Kishacoqttillas,  who  was  known  to  be  living  in 
17:51  at  what  is  now  Lewistown. 

Philip  Fithian1  in  August,  177.7,  traveled  this 
path  from  Bald  Eagle’s  Nest  (Milesburg)  to 
KishacocpuUas  (Lewistown)  . The  first  day  he 
followed  what  he  called  a “blind,  unfrequented" 
path.  To  describe  it  in  modern  terms,  he  passed 
Bellefonte,  Pleasani  Gap,  Old  Fort,  Centre  Hall, 
and  came  to  Potters  Mills  where  Logan's  Path 
entered  from  the  north.  On  the  last  day  he 
traveled  a better  road  over  the  Seven  Mountains 
and  by  Logan’s  Spring  (a  little  north  ol  Reeds- 


vi He)  . Passing  through  the  Narrows  where 
Kishacoquillas  Creek  breaks  through  Jacks 
Mountain,  he  proceeded  down  the  creek  vallev 
to  Kishacoquillas  (Lewistown)  . 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  Milesburg  take  Pa.  53  through  Belle- 
fonte, Pleasant  Gap,  and  Old  Fort  to  Potters 
Mills.  There  53  runs  into  U.  S.  322.  Continue  on 
322  over  the  Seven  Mountains  past  Milroy  and 
Logan’s  Spring  (where  Captain  John  Logan,  son 
of  Shickellamy,  had  his  cabin  in  1765),  to  Kish- 
acoquillas on  the  Juniata. 

Sec  his  Journal,  \ugust  1-8,  177"),  edited  by  Robert 
Grecnfialgh  Mbion  and  Leonidas  Dodson  (Princeton, 
1931)  . 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  44 


79 


44.  Kiskiminetas  Path 


From  Indiana  to  T arentum 


The  Kiskiminetas  Path  branched  off  the  Kit- 
tanning Path  at  a point  about  six  miles  west  of 
Indiana.  It  passed  the  Round  Holes  (near 
Spring  Church)  and  the  Indian  Town  of  Kiski- 
minetas on  its  way  to  Chartier’s  Town  (Taren- 
tum)  and  the  Forks  of  the  Ohio. 

The  town  of  Kiskiminetas  was  on  the  south 
side  of  the  Kiskiminetas  River,  opposite  the 
mouth  of  Carnahan  Run  and  about  a mile  north 
of  Vandergrift  Heights.  From  there  “the  old 
path  leading  from  Kiskimanetes  old  Town  to 
Shartee’s  old  Town”1  ran  almost  due  west  to 
Chartier’s  Landing  (Edgecliff)  at  the  mouth  of 
the  present  Chartier  Run.  Chartier’s  Town, 
which  Charles  Hanna  describes  as  “the  principal 
village  of  the  Shawnees  during  the  decade  from 
1735  to  1745,”  was  opposite  the  Landing.2 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

A quick  way  to  follow  the  general  route  of  this 


path  is  to  take  U.  S.  422  from  Indiana  to  Watts, 
just  west  of  Watts,  bend  left  on  L.  R.  32048  and 
follow  its  windings  to  the  junction  with  Pa.  56. 
Follow  56  through  West  Lebanon  and  on  to  its 
crossing  of  the  Kiskiminetas  River  at  Apollo. 
West  of  the  Kiskiminetas,  continue  on  56  to 
Shearersburg.  Here  56  leaves  the  path.  Inquire 
your  way  to  Braeburn,  which  is  just  north  of 
Edgecliff,  or  continue  on  56  to  New  Kensington. 

1 Warrantee  Survey  C 143-94. 

2 See  Westmoreland  Warrants,  W 55:  “.  . . Shirtees 
Landing  Creek  which  Creek  empties  into  Allegainey  River 
opposite  Chartiers  old  Town.” 

Kittanning  Path 

From  Frankstoivn  to  Kittanning 

A local  name  for  the  western  section  of  the 
Frankstown  Path  (q.v.). 


KISKIMINETAS  PATH 


80 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  45-49 


KUSKUSKY  PATHS 


INDIAN  PATHS  OP  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  15-16 


81 


45.  Kuskusky -Chartier’s  Town  Path 


From  Tarentum  to  New  Castle 


In  1758  Christian  Frederick  Post  and  his  party 
took  from  the  13th  to  the  16th  of  November 
making  their  way  from  Chartier’s  Town  (Taren- 
tum) to  Kuskusky  (New  Castle)  . His  descrip- 
tion of  this  path  begins  at  Chartier’s  Landing  on 
the  east  bank  of  the  Allegheny  River. 

13th.— We  got  up  early,  and  boiled 
some  chocolate  for  breakfast,  and  then  be- 
gan to  finish  our  rafts;  we  cloathed  our- 
selves as  well  as  we  could  in  Indian  dress; 
it  was  about  two  o’clock  in  the  afternoon, 
before  we  all  got  over  to  the  other  side, 
near  an  old  Indian  town  [Chartier’s 
Town].  . . . 

15th.— We  arose  early,  and  had  a good 
day’s  journey:  we  passed  these  two  days 
through  thick  bushes  of  briars  and 
thorns;  so  that  it  was  very  difficult  to  get 
through.  ...  At  twelve  o’clock  we  crossed 


the  road  from  Venango  to  fort  Duquesne. 

We  went  west  towards  Kushkushking, 
about  sixteen  miles  from  the  fort.  . . . 

We  concluded  to  go  within  three  miles  of 
Kushkushking,  to  their  sugar  cabbins,  and 
to  call  their  chiefs  there.”1 

Post’s  journal  does  not  give  sufficient  detail  to 
make  clear  which  of  several  possible  paths  he 
took.  On  November  16  he  and  his  party  “Went 
down  a long  valley,”  traversed  the  flats  north  of 
West  Pittsburg,  and  passed  through  Old  Kus- 
kusky (abandoned  since  about  1756)  to  New 
Kuskusky  (New  Castle)  at  the  junction  of 
Neshannock  Creek  with  the  Shenango  River.2 

1 Post's  second  journal  to  the  Allegheny,  1758:  Reuben 
Gold  rhwaites,  Early  Western  Travels,  1748-1846  (Cleve- 
land, 1904),  I,  247-49. 

= Ibid.,  249. 


46.  Kuskusky  - Cussewago  Path 

From  Meadville  to  New  Castle 


From  Cussewago  (Meadville)  the  path  ran 
down  the  French  Creek  Valley  to  the  mouth  of 
Conneaut  Outlet.  Thence  it  ran  west  to  the  head 
of  Sandy  Creek  (in  the  southwest  corner  of 
Greenwood  Township,  Crawford  County)  , and 
southwest  to  present  Greenville  and  Clark,  or  by 
an  alternate  route  south  to  New  Hamburg  and 
Pymatuning  Town.  Passing  a little  east  of 
Sharpsville,  it  reached  the  Shenango  River  at 
West  Middlesex  and  followed  it  through  Pulaski 
to  New  Castle. 

The  Rev.  Robert  R.  Roberts  (later  Bishop  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church)  passed  that 
way  in  1796. 1 

In  “The  Venango  Trail,”  Dr.  S.  K.  Stevens  and 
Donald  H.  Kent  suggest  that  this  was  the  path 
George  Washington  referred  to  in  his  journal, 
November  25,  1753:  “He  [the  Half  King]  told 
me  that  the  nearest  way  [from  Logstown  to  Fort 
Le  Boeuf]  was  now  impassable,  by  reason  of 
many  large  miry  savannas.”  Stevens  and  Kent 


comment:  “The  route  referred  to  . . .,  over  which 
fall  rains  had  evidently  made  travel  impossible, 
would  lie  almost  straight  north  to  Shenango,  in 
Mercer  County;  from  there  north  to  Hartstown. 
in  Crawford  County;  and  taking  a northeasterly 
course,  skirt  the  southern  edge  ol  Conneaut  Lake 
to  arrive  at  Cussewago  (Meadville)  .”2 

Pymatuning  Swamp  stretches  for  many  miles 
down  the  Shenango  Valley  above  and  below 
Hartstown,  and  Conneaut  Marsh  runs  south  from 
Conneaut  Lake;  but  there  is  a patch  of  dry 
ground  at  Hartstown,  and  the  Old  State  Road 
(said  to  have  been  built  on  an  Indian  path) 
skirted  the  south  shore  of  Conneaut  Lake  and 
crossed  Pymatuning  Swamp  at  Hartstown. 

Bishop  Roberts,  however,  went  another  way: 

. . . Alter  spending  a few  days  at  Casse- 
wago,  they  went  down  French  Creek  again 
as  far  as  the  mouth  of  Coneaut  Creek, 
which  emptied  itself  into  French  Creek, 
about  eight  miles  below  Meadville,  on  the 


82 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  -16-48 


west  side.  From  the  mouth  of  Coneaut, 
they  proceeded  westwardlv  to  the  heads  of 
Sandy  Creek,  following  an  old  Indian 
path,  called  the  Kuskuskia  Path,  and  lead- 
ing from  Cassewago  to  Kuskuskia,  a place 
on  the  Beaver  River.  When  they  had 
passed  over  Sandy  Creek,  they  stopped  for 
the  night.  1 hey  peeled  some  bark  from 
chesnut  trees,  and  made  a camp.  The  lo- 
cation of  this  ramp  was  about  four  miles 
northwest  of  Georgetown  fSheakleyville], 
and  about  two  miles  and  a half  from 
where  Robert  R.  a short  time  after  made 
his  location.3 

There  would  have  been  difficulty,  even  in 
summer,  in  crossing  on  foot  the  southern  outlet 
of  Conneaut  Lake.  A passage  in  Elliott’s  biog- 
raphy of  Bishop  Roberts  makes  that  clear: 

In  their  travels  to  and  from  Cassewago, 
they  heard  that  there  was  a small  lake  at 
the  head  ol  Coneaut  Creek,  and  were  de- 
sirous to  see  it.  Accordingly  they  started 
one  day,  and  traveled  in  a northerly  direc- 
tion until  thev  got  into  the  swamp  at  the 
outlet  of  the  lake,  and  of  course  were 
obliged  to  return  without  accomplishing 
the  object  of  their  journey.4 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

The  most  convenient  route  to  follow  is  the  one 
suggested  by  Stevens  and  Kent.  Take  Pa.  18 
from  Mew  Castle  to  Hartstown,  turn  right  on 
L . S.  322,  and  follow  it  to  Meadville.  The  other 
suggested  paths  ate  shorter  and  apparently  drier, 
but  no  modern  roads  follow  them. 

1 Sec  Charles  Klliott.  I if,-  of  the  Rev.  Robert  R.  Roberts 
i New  York.  I H i t)  , 12. 

i Pennsylvania  Historical  and  Museum  Commission, 
Harrisburg.  1940).  42. 

•'  Klliott.  of),  cit..  37-.3H. 

1 Ibid..  13-44. 


47.  Kuskusky- 

y 

Kittanmng  Path 

From  Kittanning  to  New  Castle 

I he  Kuskusky- K i t tan n mg  Path  was  a projec- 
tion of  the  Great  Shamokin  Path.  It  is  said  to 
have  run  past  what  is  now  the  courthouse  in 
the  city  ol  Butler.  On  its  way,  it  merged  with 
paths  from  Charter's  Town  and  Pittsburgh  to 
Kuskusky  (New  Castle)  . 


FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

I he  course  of  this  path  has  not  been  fully  de- 
termined. but  the  motorist  may  get  a general 
view  of  the  country  it  crossed  by  following  U.  S. 
422  from  Kittanning  through  Butler  to  New 
Castle. 


Ohio  Forks  Path 

From  Pittsburgh  to  New  Castle 

After  crossing  the  Alleghenv  River  at  the  Forks 
of  the  Ohio  (Pittsburgh)  , the  path  to  Kuskusky 
followed  the  Venango  Path  through  West  View 
and  Perrvsville  to  the  head  of  Girty  Run,  where 
it  left  the  other  path  and  took  a north-northwest 
course  to  cross  Brush  Creek  a mile  southwest  of 
Ogle  in  southern  Cranberry  Township,  Butler 
County.  It  crossed  Connoquenessing  Creek  prob- 
ably a few  miles  west  of  Zelienople,  crossed  Slip- 
pery Rock  Creek  in  the  vicinity  of  Wurtemberg, 
and  reached  the  Beaver  River  at  Chewton. 
Thence  it  proceeded  up  the  river  to  Old  Kus- 
kuskv  (West  Pittsburg)  and  New  Kuskusky 
(New  Castle)  . 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

For  a general  view  of  the  country  traversed  by 
the  Kuskusky-Ohio  Forks  Path,  take  U.  S.  19 
from  Pittsburgh  to  Zelienople.  There  turn  left 
on  Pa.  288  and  follow  it  to  Ellwood  City  and 
Chewton.  Minor  roads  follow  the  east  bank  as 
the  trail  did  to  East  Moravia  (named  for  the 
Indian  settlement,  Friedensstadt,  established  by 
Moravian  missionaries  across  the  river) . From 
East  Moravia  take  Pa.  168  to  New  Castle. 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  49-50 


49.  Kuskusky- 
Venango  Path 

From  New  Castle  to  Franklin 

From  New  Castle  (Kuskusky)  the  path  to 
Venango  (Franklin)  ran  east,  following  much 
the  same  course  as  that  taken  by  U.  S.  422.  It 
passed  about  a mile  southeast  of  Rose  Point  and 
a quarter  of  a mile  north  of  McConnells  Mills. 
It  crossed  Slippery  Rock  Creek  at  Allens  Mill 
and  Muddy  Creek  at  Portersville  Station.  From 
that  point  it  followed  the  path  taken  by  George 
Washington  in  1753  on  his  journey  from  Logs- 
town  to  Fort  Le  Boeuf,  passing  through  West 
Liberty  and  Redmond  to  Harrisville,  where  it 


S3 

joined  the  better-known  Venango  Path  (q.v.)  and 
proceeded  with  it  to  Franklin. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  New  Castle  take  U . S.  422  east  from  New 
Castle  to  Rose  Point  (w’hence  a side  trip  to  Mc- 
Connells Mills  is  recommended) , and  in  a little 
over  a mile  turn  right  on  U.  .S'.  19.  In  about  a 
mile  and  a half  (approaching  Portersville)  turn 
sharp  left  on  Pa.  488  and  follow  it  to  the  cross- 
ing of  Muddy  Creek.  Just  beyond  the  crossing, 
turn  right  on  a township  road  and  follow  it  to 
West  Liberty.  From  there  your  best  plan  is 
either  to  take  L.  R.  10101  north  to  the  town  of 
Slippery  Rock  and  from  there  Pa.  108  east  to 
meet  Pa.  8 at  Adams  Corners,  or  to  take  the 
township  road  east  to  meet  8 at  Stone  House. 
Follow  8 into  Franklin. 


50.  Lackawanna  Path 


From  Pittston  to  Windsor,  N.  Y. 


The  Lackawanna  Path  ran  from  the  Indian 
town  of  Lackawanna  at  the  mouth  of  the  Lacka- 
wanna River  (just  north  of  Pittston)  through 
Capoose  Meadows  (Scranton)  to  Oquaga  (Wind- 
sor, N.  Y.)  on  the  North  Branch  of  the  Susque- 
hanna above  the  Great  Bend.  It  was  sometimes 
known  as  the  Oquaga  or  Onaquaga  Path. 

Paths  on  both  sides  of  the  Lackawanna  River 
—one  from  Lackawanna  (Assarughney)  on  the 
north  side  of  the  river  at  its  mouth,  and  another 
from  Adjouquay  (Pittston)  on  the  south  side- 
converged  at  Old  Forge,  about  three  miles  up- 
stream. Continuing  through  Taylor  to  Capoose 
Meadows  in  Scranton,  the  path  ran  north 
through  Leggetts  Gap  in  the  Bald  Mountains. 
From  the  Gap  it  probably  proceeded  almost 
directly  north  to  the  Tuscarora  Indian  Town 
(Lanesboro)  at  the  mouth  of  Starrucca  Creek  in 
the  Great  Bend  of  the  Susquehanna.  A branch 
led  to  Apple  Tree  Town. 

Its  course  has  not  been  exactly  determined,  but 
the  old  Indian  path  from  Onanghguga  to  Laha- 
wanock”  (Warrantee  Survey  A 64-90,  dated 
1774)  is  believed  to  have  passed  Sickler  Pond. 


Branches  fanned  out  northeastward  to  Schohary, 
eastward  to  Shehawken  Lake,  westward  to  Che- 
nango (near  Binghamton,  N.  Y.)  and  Tioga 
(Athens,  Pa.)  . 

The  Lackawanna  Path  was  followed  by  a body 
of  Tuscarora  Indians  coming  north,  late  in  1766, 
from  North  Carolina  to  the  Oneida  country. 
While  the  sick  and  infirm  traveled  in  canoes  by 
way  of  Wyalusing,  Tioga,  and  Owego  to  the 
Great  Bend,  their  young  people  took  the  short 
cut  over  the  Lackawanna  Path.1 

When  the  last  Indian  residents  left  Capoose 
Meadows  (Scranton)  about  177 1,2  the  Lacka- 
wanna Path  offered  a convenient  way  to  their 
destination  at  Chenango  and  Oquaga. 

After  the  Battle  of  Wyoming,  the  Iroquois 
withdrew  by  the  Lackawanna  Path.3 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  Pittston  take  U.  S.  11 . Turn  left  on  L.  R. 
35063  and  cross  the  Lackawanna  River  for  Old 
Forge.  There  turn  right  on  L.  R.  35055  along  the 
river  into  Scranton.  Turn  left  on  U.  S.  11 
through  Leggetts  Gap,  and  then  fork  right  on 


- 


/XMAS’  PATHS  OF  PEXXSYL  VANIA:  Nos.  50-51 


Interstate  81,  which  follows  the  path  fairly 
closely  for  at  least  a few  miles.  Leave  81  at 
Lenox.  Go  north  on  Pa.  92,  which  picks  up  the 
path  again  and  follows  its  general  course  through 
Gelatt  to  Lanesboro  (Tuscarora  Indian  I own)  . 
Continue  on  92  to  the  New  York  border  and 
thence  on  .V  Y.  79  to  Windsor  (Oquaga)  . 

'Sec  "The  Bethlehem  Diary,”  November  18,  1766, 
ft  sfif.  \rctmes  of  the  Moravian  Church.  Bethlehem,  Pa. 

3 Benjamin  1!  I'hroop,  .1  Half  Crntury  of  Scranton 

Scranton.  1 H95)  . 23. 

3 ( harles  Miner,  History  of  Wyoming  in  a Series  of 
tetter,  (Philadelphia,  1 845)  , 239-40. 


LACKAWANNA  PATH 


57.  Lackawaxen  Path 

From  Indian  Orchard  to  Lackawaxen 

The  Lackawaxen  Path  ran  from  Indian  Or- 
chard on  the  Lackawaxen  River,  two  miles  south- 
east of  East  Honesdale,  to  the  Indian  town  of 
Lackawaxen  at  the  junction  of  its  namesake 
river  with  the  Delaware. 

From  the  Orchard  (said  to  have  been  named 
for  a hundred  apple  trees  planted  there  by  the 
Indians)  the  path  ran  southeast  to  Butcher  Pond 
and  then  in  an  almost  straight  line  east-southeast. 
It  passed  between  Tedyuskung  Lake  and  Little 
Tedyuskung  Lake,  skirted  the  southern  tip  of 
Westcolang  Pond,1  continued  on  the  highlands 
for  another  two  miles,  and  then  descended 
sharply  to  a ford  of  the  Lackawaxen  opposite  the 
Indian  town,  which  stood  on  the  south  side. 

A popular  tradition  (reported  to  this  writer 
by  Allie  James,  whose  father  once  tended  the 
canal  lock  at  Glen  Eyre)  is  to  the  effect  that  “the 
path  ran  up  over  the  hills”  instead  of  following 
the  windings  of  the  Lackawaxen  as  the  modern 
road  does.  The  tradition  is  amply  corroborated 
by  a set  of  warrantee  surveys  oi  178-1  showing  a 
continuous  four  miles  ol  the  “path  from  the  Or- 
chard to  Delaware.”2 

The  Lackawaxen  path  serves  as  an  interesting 
example  of  the  directness  of  Indian  paths. 
Whereas  the  white  man's  former  road,  which 
followed  the  windings  of  the  Lackawaxen  River, 
took  twenty-three  miles  to  reach  the  Orchard, 
and  the  straightened,  modern  road  of  today 
(Pa.  590  and  U.  S.  6)  still  takes  about  twenty, 
the  Indian  path  took  thirteen. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

To  get  a general  view  of  the  country  crossed 
by  this  path  (there  are  very  few  modern  roads  in 
the  area) , take  U.  S.  6 from  Honesdale  to  Hawley, 
and  from  there  follow  Pa.  590  to  Lackawaxen. 

1 One  section  of  the  path  was  described  on  Warrantee 
Survey  C 173-154  in  the  year  1781  as  the  "Bath  from 
Orchard  to  Wcskeline.” 

3 W arrantee  Surveys  C 173  151,  155;  A 55-11;  D 39-64. 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  51-52 


85 


52.  Lake  Shore  Path 


From  Erie  west  to  Sandusky  and  east  to  Buffalo 


The  Lake  Shore  Path  more  or  less  closely  fol- 
lowed the  south  shore  of  Lake  Erie  from  San- 
dusky and  Conneaut,  Ohio,  through  Erie  and 
North  East,  Pa.,  to  Westfield  and  Buffalo,  N.  Y. 

The  character  of  the  path  changed  at  Erie. 
Whereas  west  of  that  city  the  path  remained  close 
to  the  water,  east  of  Erie  it  kept  about  a mile  and 
a half  back,  running  along  a curious  ridge  said 
to  have  been,  in  an  earlier  age,  the  shore  of  Lake 
Warren.  This  route  is  now  followed  by  U.  S.  20. 
Before  the  day  of  good  bridges,  it  was  an  awk- 
ward road  to  travel,  for  the  ridge  is  perforated 
by  a number  of  deep,  narrow  creek  gorges  which 
must  have  caused  something  of  a scramble  to 
get  across. 

Going  west  from  Presque  Isle  (Erie) , there 
were  alternate  routes  to  choose  from:  one  along 
the  sandy  beach,  the  other  through  the  woods  on 
top  of  the  cliffs  that  lined  the  shore.  When  the 
water  was  low,  travelers  preferred  to  walk  on  the 
sand,  which  provided  a firm,  level,  and  almost 
uninterrupted  passage.  Except  for  a marshy  spot 


at  the  base  of  the  Erie  Peninsula  and  a bad 
promontory  at  Cleveland,  one  could  comfortably 
follow  the  beach  from  Erie  to  Sandusky.  It  was 
only  when  the  water  was  high  and  the  beach  was 
covered  that  one  had  to  take  the  more  difficult 
path  through  the  woods.  East  of  Erie,  the  trav- 
eler had  no  choice.  The  shore  there  was  rocky 
and  dangerous,  and  there  was  no  continuous 
beach  to  walk  on. 

The  Lake  Shore  Path  is  little  known.  It  has 
even  been  questioned  that  there  ever  was  such 
a path.  William  Lucas  who,  having  been  a 
prisoner  of  the  French  in  that  area,  might  have 
been  expected  to  know  what  he  was  talking 
about,  was  of  opinion  that  no  such  path  existed. 
Reporting  to  a British  Council  of  War  at  Pitts- 
burgh, October  7,  1759,  he  said  that  . . there 
is  no  Marching  a Body  of  Men,  from  Presque 
Isle  to  Niagara,  no  Road  having  ever  been  dis- 
cover’d that  way.”1 

Against  Lucas’s  opinion,  however,  must  be  set 
a quantity  of  contrary  evidence.  On  February  1 1, 


86 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  52 


1753,  the  Marquis  Duquesne  addressed  a letter  to 
Claude-Pierre  Pecaudy  de  Contrecoeur,  Com- 
mandant at  Niagara,  who  knew  this  region  well. 
“I  noticed,”  wrote  Duquesne,  "that  in  your  letter 
you  considered  it  an  easy  matter  to  send  this  de- 
tachment by  land  to  Catacoin  [Chautauqua].”2 
It  would  not  have  been  “an  easy  matter”  to  send 
by  land  the  intended  detachment  of  four  hun- 
dred men  with  equipment  to  work  on  the  Chau- 
tauqua Portage  unless  there  had  been  a path  to 
guide  them. 

John  Hcckewelder's  map  of  the  Ohio  country, 
1796,  shows  an  “Indian  Path  along  the  Lake,” 
hugging  the  Erie  shore  till  the  way  from  Presque 
Isle  to  the  Huron  River  and  beyond.3  His  map 
does  not  show  its  continuation  east  of  Erie.  But 
there  is  other  evidence  that  fills  this  gap.  When, 
on  July  1 of  the  same  year,  Oeneral  Moses  Cleave- 
land  with  a party  of  fifty  men  reached  the  western 
border  ol  Pennsylvania,  “They  had  been  travel- 
ing,” writes  Harlan  Hatcher,  “.  . . for  the  last 
eight  days  through  the  woods  and  along  the  Lake 
Erie  shore  from  Buffalo.”4 

Evidence  of  the  importance  of  the  Lake  Shore 
Path  is  found  in  a letter  of  February  13,  1792, 
written  by  Isaac  Craig  at  Fort  Franklin  to  Lieu- 
tenant Jeffers,  proposing  that  to  “Cut  the  Com- 
munications between  the  bad  Indians  [Little 
Furtle  and  his  victorious  Miami  Confederates] 
and  the  Six  Nations,”  it  was  more  important  to 
build  a tort  at  Conneaut  than  at  Cussawago, 
since  “the  bad  Indians  pass  through  Cunniat, 
whenever  they  go  to  the  Six  Nations.  . . ,”H  From 
Conneaut,  as  he  indicates,  they  went  through 
Presque  Isle  (Erie)  . In  other  words,  the  Lake 
Shore  Path  (not  the  Cussewago  Path  nor  any 
Other)  was  nt  that  time  the  main  route  of  commu- 
nication between  the  Iroquois  and  the  western 
Indians. 

But  was  it  a new  path?  To  white  men,  yes.  As 
Beverly  Bond  writes  in  Foundations  of  Ohio,6 
the  Lake  Shore  Path  did  not  come  into  general 
use  by  white  men  “until  just  before  the  close  of 
the  eighteenth  century.” 

It  had,  however,  been  used  by  Indians  long 
before  that  time.  Joseph  Ellicott  reported,  Janu- 
ary 1,  1802:  "The  New  Connecticut  Company 
have  . . . opened  the  old  Indian  Path  from 
New  Amsterdam  [Buffalo]  to  the  Triangle 


[Erie].  '7  Further  evidence  of  the  age  of  this  path 
is  found  in  the  archeological  remains  of  ancient 
Indian  settlements  near  the  shore  of  Lake  Erie, 
settlements  which  must  have  had  communica- 
tions with  one  another  by  this  natural  highway. 

Granted  that  there  was  a path  of  some  sort 
between  Buffalo  and  Conneaut,  the  question  still 
remains:  IFcu  the  beach  (the  beach  west  of  Erie) 
used  as  an  Indian  path?  Jacob  Eyerly,  a Moravian 
who  in  1791  traveled  from  Pittsburgh  to  Presque 
Isle  and  thence  to  Conneaut,  gives  an  authorita- 
tive answer.  He  and  his  party,  with  a pack  horse 
carrying  provisions,  walked  on  the  beach  and 
made  the  twenty-six-mile  journev  from  Presque 
Isle  to  the  Pennsylvania  line  near  Conneaut  in 
one  day. 

From  their  tenting  ground  on  the  lake  shore 
at  what  is  now  Erie,  as  Eyerly  records,  they 
walked  several  miles  beside  the  lake  to  the  base 
of  the  peninsula.  There  they  had  a little  diffi- 
culty getting  round  a marshy  spot,  but,  as  he 
writes,  “Once  back  at  the  lake,  we  had  a wide 
sandy  beach  all  the  way.  . . . 

"From  this  point,”  he  goes  on,  "we  walked  all 
day  on  the  sand  under  a clear  sky.  It  was  quite 
calm  and  the  lake  was  very  still.  We  had  an 
English  ship  in  sight  almost  all  day  long.  At  one 
time  it  was  so  close  we  could  plainly  see  the 
people  walking  the  deck."8 

He  learned  from  the  Indians  he  met  that  an- 
other path  followed  the  shore,  but  farther  back 
from  the  lake.  It  was  used  only  when  the  water 
was  high  and  covered  the  beach.  “Then,”  he 
wrote,  “the  only  way  to  travel  along  the  lakeshore 
is  through  the  woods,  which  makes  very  heavy 
going.”9 

That  the  beach  path  continued  west  beyond 
Conneaut  is  shown  by  an  entry  made  at  Con- 
neaut in  General  Moses  Cleaveland’s  journal  for 
July  10,  1796:  “Went  with  Capt.  Buckland  about 
eight  miles  up  the  beach;  wind  ahead.  Stopped 
at  Jay  creek,  then  went  about  three  miles  farther 
. . .;  the  surf  high,  making  very  hard  walking  on 
my  return.  . . ."10 

At  Erie  in  1951  the  present  writer  met  a Great 
Lakes  skipper,  the  late  Captain  William  Morri- 
son, who  was  familiar  with  every  foot  of  the  Lake 
Erie  shore.  “When  the  water  is  low,”  he  said, 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  52 


87 


“it  is  easy  to  walk  on  the  beach  from  Erie  to 
Conneaut  and  even  farther.” 

One  further  question  remains  to  be  asked:  Is 
there,  as  popular  tradition  would  have  it,  a seven- 
year  cycle  of  high  and  loiu  water  on  Lake  Erie ? 

Jacob  Eyerly  first  recorded  the  tradition  in  his 
journal  of  1794:  . . we  had  a wide  sandy  beach 

all  the  way.  That  was  because  the  lake  has  been 
receding  for  3 years.  The  lake  rises  and  falls 
regularly  every  7 years.  When  it  is  at  its  lowest, 
the  beaches  are  3 or  4 rods  wide.  On  the  other, 
hand,  when  the  water  is  high,  the  beaches  are 
quite  covered.”11 

Captain  Morrison  questioned  the  seven-year 
cycle.  Boatmen  and  fishermen  still  believe  in  it, 
he  said;  but,  in  his  own  opinion,  “the  cycle  of 
high  and  low  water  commonly  is  completed  in 
eleven  and  a half  years.  That  is  to  say,  the  high 
water  of  1917  would  be  repeated  in  1929.”  The 
variation  between  high  and  low  water  he  esti- 
mated at  about  five  feet. 

The  cycle  theory,  whether  of  seven  or  eleven 
years  duration,  has  been  challenged.  Harold 


Titus,  in  “The  Great  Lakes  go  on  a Rampage,”12 
has  this  to  say:  “Old-timers  of  the  region  declare 
that  levels  change  every  seven  or  eleven  years, 
but  official  records  going  back  to  I860  yield  no 
evidence  of  such  cycles.” 

Whether  or  not  the  fluctuations  in  the  lake 
level  have  been  regular  enough  to  be  called  cycles, 
it  is  certain  that  the  water  level  has  undergone 
slow,  recurrent  changes,  and  that,  during  those 
years  when  the  water  was  low,  the  long  beach  ol 
Lake  Erie’s  southern  shore  served  as  a good  In- 
dian path,  firm  enough  for  both  man  and  beast. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  Conneaut,  Ohio,  cross  the  Pennsylvania 
line  and  take  Pa.  5,  which  follows  the  Lake  Erie 
shore,  at  a little  distance,  to  the  city  of  Erie.  At 
the  east  end  of  Erie,  take  Pa.  955  to  its  junction 
with  U.  S.  20.  Follow  the  latter  to  the  New  York 
border  anti  Buffalo. 

To  have  a glimpse  of  the  sandy  beach  along 
which  the  path  at  some  seasons  ran,  lake  any  one 
of  a number  of  side  roads  running  north. 


IX DIAX  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  52-53 


88 


1 \mhcrst  Papers,  WO  3 1 35.  p.  108:  Public  Records 
Office,  England. 

Papiers  C.onlrecoeur,  Fernand  Grenier,  ed.  (Quebec, 
1952),  22. 

3 End  map  in  Thirty  Thousand  Miles  with  John 
II  eckewelder , Paul  \ W.  Wallace,  ed.  (Pittsburgh,  1958)  . 

‘Harlan  Matcher,  The  Western  Reserve  (New  York, 
19-19).  22. 

(.roup  II  \.  letter  Rook.  1791  1793,  Craig  Collection, 
P nnsvlvania  Room,  Carnegie  l ibrary,  Pittsburgh, 
i Columbus,  Ohio,  1941).  20. 


Reports  of  Joseph  lillicott.  Robert  Warwick  Bingham, 
etl.  Holland  Land  Company's  Papers.  Buffalo,  1937). 

"Paul  \.  W.  Wallace,  "Jacob  Eyerly’s  Journal,  1794,” 
The  Western  Pennsylvania  Historical  Magazine,  XL.V, 
No.  I (March,  1962).  18. 

" Ibid, 

'Quoted  l>\  Harlan  Hatcher  in  The  Western  Reserve 
New  York . 1949),  37. 

"Op.  cit..  18. 

'■Saturday  livening  Post.  July  20.  1952. 


53.  Lehigh  Path 

O 


From  Bethlehem  to  Wilkes-Barre 


The  Lehigh  Path  ran  from  the  Forks  of  the 
Delaware  (an  area  that  included  Bethlehem  as 
well  as  Easton)  by  way  of  Fort  Allen  (Weiss- 
port)  , to  Wyoming  (Wilkes-Barre)  and  its  vicin- 
ity. 

From  Bethlehem  to  Fort  Allen  and  a little  be- 
yond, the  Lehigh  Path  was  identical  with  the 
Nescopeck  Path  (q.v.) . After  a diffic  ult  fording 
of  the  Lehigh  River  at  Lehighton  (the  Moravian 
Gnadenhiitten)  , the  path  proceeded  w'est  for 
about  three  miles  and  then  turned  north  through 
a gap  in  the  hills  to  climb  Mauch  Chunk  Ridge. 
Branching  from  the  Nescopeck  Path,  the  Lehigh 
Path  crossed  Mauch  Chunk  Creek,  climbed  the 
Pisgah  Mountains,  and  came  down  to  Nesque- 
honing  Creek,  which  it  forded  about  half  a mile 
from  its  mouth.  It  ascended  the  Broad  Mountain 
by  a steep  spur  overlooking  the  Lehigh  River 
opposite  Coalport,  crossed  Black  Creek  (formerly 
Quakake  Creek)  about  a mile  and  three-quarters 
east  of  Weatherly,  and  rounded  a western  shoul- 
der of  Bald  Mountain  to  the  head  of  Indian  Run. 
Crossing  Laurel  Run  and  rounding  an  eastern 
projection  of  Sugar  Loaf,  it  turned  northward, 
forded  Pond  Creek  (formerly  Terrapin,  or  Ter- 
rapin Pond,  Creek)  , ascended  Green  Mountain 
in  the  vicinity  of  Zeliner,  and  climbed  Yeager 
Mountain. 

I rom  the  summit  of  Yeager  Mountain  it  took 
an  almost  straight  course  for  the  Warrior  Gap  in 
Hanover  Township,  Luzerne  County.  It  forded 
Nescopeck  Greek,  climbed  Nescopeck  Mountain, 
forded  Wapwallopen  and  Little  Wapwallopen 
creeks,  ascended  Penobscot  Mountain,  and 
tackled  a shoulder  of  Wilkes-Barre  Mountain 


overlooking  Nanticoke  Creek  and  the  Warrior 
Gap.  In  the  vicinity  of  Peely  it  turned  northeast 
to  Wyoming. 

It  was  a short  but  difficult  way  to  Wyoming, 
difficult  because  of  the  mountains  it  climbed: 
Mauch  Chunk,  Pisgah,  Broad,  Yeager,  Nesco- 
peck, Penobscot,  and  Wilkesbarre.  There  were 
easier  ways.  General  Sullivan  in  1779  took  his 
army  through  the  Wind  Gap  and  over  a more 
roundabout  but  less  hilly  course,  better  for  his 
wagons  and  artillery.  For  all  that,  the  Lehigh 
Path  had  advantages  for  unencumbered  trav- 
elers. It  was  drier  and  more  direct. 

The  veteran  traveler,  Christian  Frederick  Post, 
though  he  often  came  this  way,  found  it  hard 
going.  In  his  journal  for  May  10,  1760,  he  wrote: 

When  we  ascended  the  great  Mountain 
[Broad  Mountain]  . . .,  all  my  Limbs  trem- 
bled as  if  I had  a fit  of  the  Ague,  & in  de- 
scending the  same  it  made  both  Man  X: 
Beast  tremble.  At  the  foot  of  the  I fill  we 
cross’d  a Creek,  called  Quakake  [now 
Black  Creek],  with  Steep  Banks.  My  Horse 
being  formerly  a Gentleman  s X:  not  used 
to  such  hardships  X:  to  climb  such  craggy 
Hills  & steep  mountains,  laid  himself  twice 
flat  on  the  ground  with  me,  yet  I came 
happily  off  without  much  hurt,  save  bruis- 
ing my  Leggs  against  the  Stones.1 

Isaac  Zane,  who  passed  this  way  in  1758,  was 
impressed  with  the  "great  hills  and  Dales  and 
the  forests  of  white  pine:  “I  have  not  before 
seen  the  Like,  for  higth  Bigness  and  streatness.”2 

T he  Indians  made  frequent  use  of  the  path. 
On  the  Nescopeck  Mountain  in  June.  1758,  Post 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  53 


89 


and  Charles  Thomson  “met  9 Indians  travelling 
down  to  Bethlehem.”3  At  Quakake  Creek  in  the 
fall  of  the  same  year,  Moses  Tatamy,  Isaac  Still 
(the  Delaware  interpreter)  , and  Alamewhehum 
(Jonathan)  on  their  way  to  Wyoming  met 
“Teedyuscung  and  his  Company”  on  their  way 
to  Bethlehem.4 

Captain  Lazarus  Stewart  with  a company  of 
men  from  Lancaster  County  is  said  to  have  taken 
this  same  route  into  the  Wyoming  Valley  when 
he  captured  Fort  Durkee  at  Wilkes-Barre  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1770. 5 

Detailed  information  on  this  path  comes  from 
warrantee  surveys  showing  the  “Old  War  Path” 
to  Wyoming.6 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

In  Bethlehem  take  Pa.  512,  which  runs  north 
from  the  Lehigh  River  along  the  east  side  of 
Monocacy  Creek.  About  a mile  from  the  river, 
fork  left  on  L.  R.  48049,  cross  Monocacy  Creek, 


7*  To  Lockow 


and  continue  on  48049  through  Weaverville  and 
across  Pa.  329  to  the  outskirts  of  Kreidersville. 
There  cross  L.  R.  48061  and  continue  northwest 
on  L.  R.  48068  through  Kreidersville  to  a junc- 
tion with  Pa.  45.  Follow  45  through  Lehigh  Gap 
(where  45  is  joined  by  Pa.  29)  and  Palmerton 
to  Weissport.  There  cross  the  Lehigh  River 
(still  on  45)  to  Lehighton.  At  this  point  the 
path  set  out  on  a course  no  modern  road  fol- 
lows, crossing  the  mountains  by  routes  much 
shorter  than  those  of  today. 

The  motorist  will  touch  the  path  here  and 
there  if  he  goes  north  from  Lehighton  on  Pa.  45 
and  29  through  Jim  Thorpe  (Mauch  Chunk)  . 
About  2 miles  north  of  Mauch  Chunk  the  road 
crosses  the  Lehigh  Path,  which  here  ascends  the 
Broad  Mountain.  In  another  mile  or  so,  leave 
45  and  turn  right  on  29.  The  best  way  to  see 
the  difficult  country  over  which  the  Indian  path 
takes  its  almost  straight  course  is  to  continue  on 
29  to  Hazleton.  There  take  U.  S.  309  over  the 
Nescopeck  Pass,  the  Lehigh  Path  being  now 
about  3 1/2  miles  to  the  east.  In  another  4 miles 
or  so  you  will  cross  the  Lehigh  Path,  which  here 
ran  a trifle  west  of  north,  heading  for  the  War- 
rior Gap.  U.  S.  309  runs  to  Mountaintop  and 
through  Solomon  Gap  to  Wilkes-Barre. 

1 "Journal  of  Christian  Frederick  Post,  April  21-June 
30,  1960.”  Historical  Society  of  Pennsylvania. 

2 “Journal  of  Isaac  Zane  to  Wyoming,  1758.”  Pennsyl- 
vania Magazine  of  History  and  Biography,  XXX  (1906)  , 
■420. 

3 Pennsylvania  Archives,  First  Series,  III,  412. 

4 Ibid.,  504. 

5 Harry  Blackman  Plumb,  History  of  Hanover  Town- 
ship . . . and  also  a History  of  Wyoming  Valley  (Wilkes- 
Barre,  1885),  144. 

6 A 7-144;  B-335,  336. 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  5-1 


',)() 


54.  Lentil  Lenape  Path 

(The  Old  York  Road) 

From  Philadelphia  to  New  Hope 


The  Lenni  Lenape  Path  ran  from  Philadel- 
phia to  New  Hope  on  the  Delaware  River,  and 
thence  across  New  Jersey  from  Lambertville  to 
salt  water  at  Elizabeth. 

This  was  one  of  the  many  Indian  paths  lead- 
ing out  of  the  Philadelphia  area— "so  numerous,’’ 
as  Emogene  Van  Sickle  writes  in  The  Old  York 
Road  and  Its  Stage  Coach  Days,1  “that  one  his- 
torian has  likened  them  ‘to  the  sticks  of  a lady’s 
fan.’  " The  much-traveled  Lenni  Lenape  Path 
was  so  well  routed  that  when  in  1711  a road  was 


followed  very  closely  by  U.  S.  61 1 (the  Old  York 
Road)  past  Stenton,  across  Wingohocking  Creek, 
and  through  Jenkintown,  Abington,  Willow 
Grove,  Hatboro,  Hartsville,  Jamison,  Furlong, 
Buckingham,  and  Lahaska  to  New  Hope. 

From  Lambertville  on  the  New  Jersey  side  of 
the  Delaware  River,  it  passed  through  Ringoes, 


Larison’s  Corner,  Reaville,  Somerville,  Bound 
Brook,  Dunellen,  Plainfield,  Scotch  Plains,  and 
Westfield  to  Elizabeth  and  Newark. 

Of  its  stagecoach  days,  Horace  Mather  Lippin- 
cott  writes: 

The  old  road  ran  [from  New  Hope 
west]  to  Buckingham  Meeting  House 
where  it  continued  as  at  present  toward 
the  city  thirty-three  miles  through  a tim- 
bered wilderness  thinly  populated.  Wat- 
son’s Hill  near  Buckingham,  Kerr's  Hill 
beyond  Neshaminy,  Sampson’s  Hill  be- 
yond Willow  Grove  and  Shoemaker’s  Hill 
above  that  village  were  formidable  pulls 
for  the  horses.  The  first  bridge  was  built 
at  Willow  Grove  in  1722.  Ibis  was  evi- 
dently an  important  stopping  point  for  in 
17:78  John  Paul’s  Tavern  there  had  sta- 
bling for  100  horses.4 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 


LENNI  LENAPE  PATH 

laid  out  from  Philadelphia  to  New  Hope  it  was 
not  surveyed  "but  was  superimposed  directly 
upon  the  old  route.”2 

According  to  Emogene  Van  Sickle,  the  path 
began  at  Front  and  V ine  streets.  For  three  miles 
its  course  was  identical  with  that  of  Germantown 
Avenue.3  Then  it  branched  off,  taking  a route 


This  path,  which  became  the  Old  York  Road, 
may  be  followed  fairly  closely  on  good  modern 
roads.  From  Philadelphia  take  U.  S.  611 
through  Jenkintown  to  Willow  Grove.  I here 
fork  right  on  Pa.  263  and  follow'  it  through 
Hatboro,  Hartsville,  Jamison,  Furlong,  and 
Buckingham.  About  2 miles  beyond  Bucking- 
ham, fork  right  (east)  on  U.  S.  202.  Follow  it 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  54-55 


91 


to  New  Hope  and  across  the  Delaware  River  to 
Lanrbertville. 

East  of  the  Delaware,  continue  on  U.  S.  202 
to  Ringoes.  Just  beyond  it,  bear  right  on  N.  Y. 
514  through  Reaville  to  meet  202  again  at  Three 
Bridges.  Follow  202  to  Somerville,  and  there 
take  N.  Y.  28  for  Bound  Brook,  Plainfield,  West- 
field,  and  Elizabeth. 


1 Flemington,  N.  [.,  1937. 

2 Wheaton  J.  Lane  and  Thomas  J.  Wertenbaker,  From 
Indian  Trail  to  Iron  Horse  (Princeton,  1939)  , 18. 

3 See  John  F.  Watson,  Annals  of  Philadelphia  and  Penn- 
sylvania in  the  Olden  Time  . . . (Philadelphia,  1898)  , 
II,  67:  "The  present  aged  Jacob  Keyser  was  told  by 
A.  Cook,  a primitive  inhabitant,  that  he  could  well 
remember  Germantown  street  as  being  an  Indian  foot- 
path. going  through  laurel  bushes.” 

4 Old  York  Road  Historical  Society,  Bulletin,  I,  5. 


55.  Logan’s  Path 

A.  From  McElhattan  to  Lewistown 


Logan’s  Path  ran  from  the  vicinity  of  Tish- 
irningo  (Tiquamingy)  on  the  West  Branch  of 
the  Susquehanna  near  the  mouth  of  Chatham 
Run  (between  Lock  Haven  and  Jersey  Shore) 
to  Logan’s  Spring  near  Reedsville  and  on  to 
Kishacoquillas  (Lewistown)  . 

The  path  was  named  for  Shickellanty’s  son, 
John  Logan  (not  to  be  confused  with  his 
brother,  James  Logan)  5 who  lived  for  a few 
years  after  1765  in  the  Kishacoquillas  Valley. 

Logan’s  Path  ran  south  through  McElhattan, 
and  cut  through  the  gap  in  Bald  Eagle  Moun- 
tain by  way  of  Shoemaker  Park  and  Lock  Haven 
Reservoir.  Crossing  Chestnut  Flat  to  Rosecrans, 
it  continued  south  through  the  gap  in  Sugar 
Valley  Mountain  to  Loganton,  turned  west  to 
Booneville  and  south  again  through  Logan’s 
Gap  (now  Kahl  Gap) . Thence  it  angled  south- 
west over  Nittany  Mountain,  Brush  Mountain, 
and  Shriner  Mountain  to  meet  the  Karondinhah 
or  Penn’s  Creek  Path  at  Aaronsburg. 

From  Aaronsburg  Logan’s  Path  followed  the 
Penn’s  Creek  Path  through  Millheim  and  Penn 
Hall  to  join  the  path  from  Bald  Eagle’s  Nest 
and  travel  with  it  over  the  Seven  Mountains 
to  Milroy,  Logan’s  Spring  (half  a mile  north 
of  Reedsville)  , and  Kishacoquillas. 

A continuation  of  this  path  forded  the  Juniata 
River  near  Lewistown,  went  over  the  moun- 
tains to  Letort’s  Spring  (Carlisle) , crossed  the 
Monocacy  Path  at  Hanover,  and  continued 
south  through  Hampstead,  Md.,  to  salt  water  in 
the  vicinity  of  Baltimore. 


FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

To  reach  this  path,  take  U . 5.  220  from  Wil- 
liamsport west  through  Jersey  Shore  to  Charlton. 
Cross  Chatham  Run  and  turn  left  (south)  on 
Pa.  664.  This  will  take  you  across  the  Susque- 
hanna River  to  McElhattan. 


92 


IXD1AX  PATHS  OF  PEXXSYLVAXIA:  Xu.  55 


II  is  not  possible  to  follow  the  path  over  Raid 
Eagle  Mountain  from  McElhattan  and  the  Lock 
Haven  Reservoir  to  I.oganton.  A quick  way 
to  reach  Logan  ton  on  good  roads  is  to  take 
L.  R.  13013  from  McElhattan  to  Lock  Haven 
and  from  there  take  Pa.  61  through  Mill  Hall 
and  the  gap  in  Bald  Eagle  Mountain  to  Salona. 
There  turn  left  on  Pa.  330  and  follow  it  through 
Rote  to  Rosecrans,  where  you  are  back  on 
Logan's  Path  again. 

There  is,  however,  a picturesque  route  that 
keeps  a little  closer  to  Logan’s  Path  over  this 
wild  stretch  of  country.  From  Lock  Haven  cross 
the  bridge  to  Castanea  and  drive  south  and 
east  over  township  roads:  first  through  the  gap 
in  Raid  Eagle  Mountain  made  by  Kammerdine 
Run,  then  down  into  Xittany  Valley  and  up 
again  to  the  mountain  summit  at  Chestnut 
Elat.  Here  you  are  on  the  path  again,  about 
2 miles  south  of  the  Lock  Haven  Reservoir. 

From  Rosecrans  go  south  on  Pa.  830  to  Logan- 
ton.  There  take  Pa.  780  to  Rooneville,  then 
/..  R.  18027  to  Greenburr,  after  that  a town- 
ship road  to  Logan  Mills  and  (leaving  the 
path,  since  no  modern  roads  follow  it  for  the 
next  few  miles)  Tylersville.  From  Tylersville 
head  south  for  Millheim.  Turn  right  (west)  on 
Pa.  75  and  follow  it  to  Spring  Mills.  There 
turn  left  on  /..  R.  1/013,  follow  it  for  about  a 
mile  to  a junction  with  I..  R.  1/030,  and  follow 
this  latter  to  a junction  first  with  Pa.  53  and  then 
with  U.  8.  322  at  Potters  Mills.  Follow  U.  S. 
322  over  the  Seven  Mountains  (formerly  known 
as  the  Seven  Mile  Mountain)  to  Milroy,  Logan’s 
Spring,  and  Lewistown. 


B.  From  Lock  Haven  to  Lewistown 

A second  path  named  for  Shickellamy’s  son, 
John  Logan,  ran  from  the  Great  Island  (Lock 
Haven)  to  Mill  Hall,  there  entering  the  gap  in 
Raid  Eagle  Mountain.  Emerging,  it  followed 
Fishing  Creek  to  Cedar  Springs  and  then  took 
a good  ridge,  midway  between  Fishing  Creek 
and  Cedar  Creek,  to  Lamar.  Thence  it  followed 
Little  Fishing  Creek  to  Mingoville,  crossed  the 
Nittany  Mountain,  and  came  down  through 
Logan’s  Gap.  From  there  it  very  probably  ran 
directly  south  to  Potters  Mills,  although  there 
was  another  better-known  route  down  Penns 
Creek  to  Spring  Mills. 

From  Potters  Mills  it  followed  the  other 
branch  over  the  Seven  Mountains  to  Logan’s 
Spring  and  Kishacoquillas’  Town  (Lewistown)  . 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

Take  U.  8.  220  to  Mill  Hall,  and  there  take 
Pa.  67  south  through  Cedar  Springs  and  Lamar 
to  Hecla  Park  (Mingoville).  There  fork  left 
on  L.  R.  1-/027 , and  follow  it  for  about  5 miles 
to  a T at  Pa.  192. 

From  this  point  it  is  impossible  to  follow  the 
old  path  on  modern  roads.  It  will  be  best  to 
turn  left  on  192  and  follow  it  for  about  a mile. 
Then  turn  right  on  I..  R.  14031  and  follow  it 
past  Penn’s  Cave  and  Farmers  Mills  to  Spring 
Mills.  There  take  L.  R.  14030  and  follow  it 
to  its  junction  first  with  Pa.  53  and  then  with 
U.  S.  322  at  Potters  Mills.  Follow  322  to 
Lewistown. 

' For  an  explanation  of  the  confusion  in  the  names,  see 
the  author's  "Logan,  the  Mingo:  A Problem  in  Identifi- 
cation." Pennsylvania  Archaeologist,  XXXII.  Nos.  3-4 
(December.  1962)  . 91-96. 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  56 


93 


56.  Logstown  Path 

From  Ambridge  to  Franklin 


The  Logstown  Path  ran  from  the  Indian 
settlement  at  Logstown  (Legionville,  about  two 
and  a half  miles  north  of  Ambridge)  on  the 
Ohio  River  to  Venango  (Franklin)  at  the  junc- 
tion of  the  Allegheny  River  with  French  Creek. 

Before  white  men  occupied  the  Forks  of  the 
Ohio  and  built  Fort  Duquesne  and  Fort  Pitt, 
the  preferred  Indian  route  from  that  general 
vicinity  to  Venango  and  Lake  Erie  was  by  way 
of  Logstown,  eighteen  miles  down  the  Ohio 
from  Pittsburgh.  The  Logstown  Path  offered 
an  all-weather  highway  with  an  excellent  ford 
of  Muddy  Creek  (in  Butler  County)  , provided 
by  remains  of  the  terminal  moraine  of  the  Wis- 
consin Glacier.  It  was  the  path  that  George 
Washington,  on  Indian  advice,  took  in  1753 
when  on  his  way  to  Fort  Le  Boeuf.  See  Ap- 
pendix No.  5. 

The  Logstown  Path  followed  the  Great  Path 
down  the  Ohio  to  Crow’s  Town  (Conway)  . 
There  it  left  the  river,  turning  northeast  past 
Big  Knob  to  “Washington’s  Spring’’  in  the  out- 
skirts of  Zelienople.  It  forded  Connoquenessing 
Creek  at  Harmony  or  in  that  vicinity  and,  after 
continuing  northeast  for  a mile  to  get  on  to  a 
convenient  ridge,  turned  and  ran  slightly  west 
of  north  to  Portersville.  Crossing:  Muddy  Creek 
where  Pa.  488  does,  at  the  former  Porterville 
Station,  it  angled  northeast  to  Hogue  Run  and 
West  Liberty,  and  crossed  Slippery  Rock  Creek 
at  one  of  several  possible  fords:  Crolls  Mills, 
Dougherty’s  Mill,  the  Pines,  or  what  is  known 
today  as  “Washington’s  Crossing’’  in  Slippery 
Rock  Park. 

There  is  debate  whether  after  crossing  Slip- 
pery Rock  Creek  the  path  ran  along  beside  the 
creek  to  join  the  path  from  Pittsburgh  (the 
Franklin  Road)  south  of  Forestville,  or  whether 
it  continued  to  ride  the  terminal  moraine  from 
Croll’s  Mill  to  Harrisville  and  there  joined  the 
Franklin  Road.  In  either  case,  from  Harrisville 
it  followed  the  same  route  as  that  taken  by  the 
better-known  Venango  Path  ( q.v .)  from  Pitts- 
burgh. 


FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  Pittsburgh  take  Pa.  65  through  Am- 
bridge and  Old  Economy  to  Legionville  (Logs- 
town) and  so  on  to  Conway.  It  is  difficult  to  fol- 


LOGSTOWN  PATH 


INDIAN  PATHS  OP  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  56-55 


94 

low  this  path  from  Conway  to  Zelienople,  but  a 
convenient  way  to  cross  the  same  tract  of 
country  is  to  turn  right  at  Conway  on  L.  R. 
992  and  follow  it  to  Pa.  989.  Turn  left  (north) 
on  989  and  follow  it  to  Zelienople. 

From  Zelienople,  U.  S.  19  (by-passing  Har- 
mony) follows  the  same  ridge  as  that  used  by 
the  Indian  path  as  far  as  Portersville.  Imme- 
diately after  leaving  Portersville,  bear  right  on 
Pa.  755.  Keep  on  755  for  about  2s/  miles  to 
the  crossing  of  Muddy  Creek.  In  one-tenth  of 
a mile  north  of  the  crossing,  bear  right  on  a 
small  road  angling  through  the  woods,  up  over 
a hill,  and  down  into  the  valley  of  Hogue  Run. 
find  your  way  to  West  Liberty  (through  which 
the  path  passed)  and  take  other  small  roads 
to  meet  Pa.  8,  which  will  take  you  to  Harris- 
v i 11  c and  from  that  point  to  Franklin  over  the 
same  general  route  as  the  old  trail. 

If  you  have  time,  stop  at  Dougherty’s  Mill, 
where  Pa.  173  crosses  Slippery  Rock  Creek,  and 
see  the  slippery  rocks  (just  under  the  water) 
which  provide  a good  slide  for  bathers  about  to 
plunge  in  the  pool  below,  and  which  it  seems 
to  this  writer  may  have  given  the  creek  its 
name. 


57.  Loyalhanna  Path 

y 

Prom  Ligonier  to  Vandergrift 

From  the  Indian  town  of  Loyalhanna 
(Ligonier)  the  Loyalhanna  Path  followed  the 
Raystown  Path  to  a point  about  a mile  and  a 
half  northwest  of  Latrobe.  There  it  broke 
away,  bearing  north  and  remaining  on  the  west 
side  of  Loyalhanna  Creek  to  its  mouth.  It 
crossed  the  Kiskiminetas  River  to  Blackleg’s 
Town  (Saltsburg)  , and  ran  northwest  to  meet 
the  Kiskiminetas  Path  in  the  vicinity  of  Vander- 
grift. 


This  was  the  path  taken  by  Christian 
Irederick  Post  on  his  second  journey  in  1758 
to  the  Allegheny. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

follow  U.  S.  30  (the  Lincoln  Highway)  , al- 
though it  is  at  first  on  the  wrong  side  of  Loyal- 
hanna Creek.  At  its  junction  with  Pa.  9S1, 
turn  right  and  follow  981  through  Latrobe  to 
Saltsburg.  It  soon  crosses  the  creek  to  the  east 
side,  while  the  Indian  path  kept  on  the  west 
side;  but,  as  there  is  no  modern  road  that  fol- 
lows the  old  way,  it  will  be  best  to  take  this 
short  cut. 

From  Saltsburg,  follow'  Pa.  981.  A mile  or  so 
west  of  Salina,  turn  right  on  Pa.  819  and  follow 
it  to  Vandergrift. 

58.  Loyalhanna  - 
Gosch  zosch  ink  Path 

o 

Prom  Ligonier  to  West  Plickory 

From  Loyalhanna  (Ligonier)  as  far  as  to 
Rayne  Township  in  Indiana  County,  the  path 
to  Goschgoschink  (West  Hickory)  followed  the 
Catawba  Path.  From  there  to  Redbank  Town- 
ship in  Jefferson  County,  it  follow'ed  the 
Venango-Frankstown  Path;  and  after  that  it 
followed  the  Goschgoschink  Path  to  the  Indian 
settlement  at  Goschgoschink  on  the  upper 
Allegheny. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

No  adequate  tracing  of  this  path  by  modern 
roads  is  possible.  See,  however,  some  sugges- 
tions for  motorists  under  Catawba  Path, 
Venango-Irankstown  Path,  and  Goschgoschink 
Path. 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  59 


95 


59.  Loyalsock  Path 

From  Dushore  to  Montoursville 

It  has  been  suggested  by  }.  Andrew  Wilt1  that 
an  Indian  path  beginning  opposite  Wyalusing 
on  the  North  Branch  of  the  Susquehanna  “led 
up  the  Sugar  Run  creek  and  thence  over  the 
divide  to  the  headwaters  of  the  Little  Loyal 
Sock  to  Dushore,  Sullivan  County,  thence  down 
said  creek  and  the  Big  Loyalsock  to  its  mouth 
at  Montoursville  on  the  West  Branch  of  the 
Susquehanna.” 

It  is  unquestioned  that  an  important  path 
ran  from  the  mouth  of  Sugar  Run  Creek  over 
the  divide  to  the  West  Branch  of  the  Susque- 
hanna. Its  western  descent,  however,  was  not 
by  the  valley  of  the  Loyalsock  but  by  that  of 
Muncy  Creek.  See  the  Wyalusing  Path.  There 
were  undoubtedly  bits  of  paths  along  the  Loyal- 
sock Valley,  connecting  individual  small  camp 
sites,  of  which  there  were  a number  between 
Montoursville  and  Hillsgrove.  But  it  is  unlikely 
that  Indians  going  any  distance  used  the  inter- 
minable windings  of  the  Loyalsock  route.  By 
water,  the  distance  between  Forksville  (at  the 
junction  of  the  Big  and  Little  Loyalsock)  and 
Montoursville  is  over  thirty-six  miles.  The 
crow’s  flight  is  about  twenty-four. 

John  S.  Koch  of  Allen  wood  (some  ten  or 
twelve  miles  south  of  Montoursville)  writes: 

. . . my  reason  for  believing  there  was 
never  a prominent  Indian  trail  in  the 
Loyalsock  is  due  to  its  many  deep  pools 
and  dozens  and  dozens  of  swift  riffles 
which  make  crossing  and  recrossing  a diffi- 
cult task,  especially  during  cold  weather. 

I have  read  where  the  Indians  forded 
streams  that  were  chest  deep  during  very 
cold  weather,  but  I’m  afraid  on  the  Loyal- 
sock  chest  deep  would  not  get  them  across, 
and  to  ford  the  riffles,  it  would  take  a 
mighty  good  man  to  stay  on  his  feet.  I’ll 
bet  today  that  nine  out  of  ten  riffles  can 
not  be  waded  with  hip  boots,  owing  to 
their  swiftness  and  depth. 

In  going  from  Montoursville  to  Hills- 
grove (I  believe  they  call  it  twenty  eight 
miles)  one  hits  all  points  of  the  compass, 
since  the  creek  is  so  crooked,  yet  the  road 
follows  it  reasonably  close  except  for  a 
few  places.  . . ,2 


FOR  TFIE  MOTORIST 

From  Dushore  to  Montoursville  Pa.  87  offers 
a most  delightful  tour  along  the  banks  of  the 
Little  and  Big  Loyalsock.  It  demands  the  at- 
tention of  the  discriminating  motorist,  who  must 
believe  that  Indian  hunters,  at  least,  followed 
the  Loyalsock  Valley  here  and  there. 

1 Bradford  County  Historical  Society,  Annual,  I,  30. 

2 Letter  to  the  present  writer.  May  5.  1962. 


Lycoming  Path 

T he  Sheshequin  Path  was  sometimes  called 
the  Lycoming  Path,  its  southern  terminus  being 
at  the  mouth  of  Lycoming  Creek. 

See  the  letter  written  by  Colonel  Thomas 
Hartley  to  Colonel  Zebulon  Butler,  September 
10,  1778,  a few  weeks  after  the  Battle  of 

Wyoming: 

That  it  is  absolutely  necessary  that  the 
Troops  at  Wyoming,  those  on  the  West 
Branch,  & in  this  Department  should 
effect  a Junction  before  they  proceed 
against  Chemung,  where  I understand 
great  part  of  the  Plunder  taken  from  our 
unhappy  Brethren  at  Wyoming,  & a Body 
of  Indians,  8c  Tories  are  collected— I mean 
that  this  Town  should  be  approached  by 
the  Lycawming  Path  to  the  Mouth  of 
Tawanclie;  8c  that  the  Town  should  be 
attacked  8c  if  possible  Destroyed,  8c  that 
the  Troops  should  Sweep  the  Country, 
down  the  River  to  Wyoming—1 

1 Wyoming  Historical  and  Geological  Society,  Proceed- 
ings. VII  (1901)  , 140. 


McKee’s  Path 

The  name  McKee’s  Path  was  sometimes  given 
to  each  of  two  eastern  branches  of  the  Franks- 
town  Path.  One,  which  began  at  Thomas 
McKee’s  Upper  Trading  Post  on  the  Susque- 
hanna at  present  Dalmatia,  probably  followed 
the  West  Mahantango.  The  other  is  said  to  have 
run  west  from  Liverpool.  Charles  H.  Snyder  of 
Sunbury  is  of  the  opinion  that  these  were  two 
branches  of  the  same  path.  They  “intersected,” 


INDIAN  PATHS  OP  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  60-61 


96 

he  writes,  "along  the  headwaters  of  the  Cocola- 
mus,  and  continued  southwest  along  Delaware 
Run,  joining  the  Juniata  Path  at  present 
Thompson  town."1 

For  map  and  directions  see  Juniata  Path. 

1 I Ik-  Great  Shamokin  Path  and  Other  Trails  Which 
Radiated  from  the  Forks  of  Susquehanna,"  Northumber- 
land Counts  Historical  Society,  Proceedings,  XIV  (19-14), 

II  17.  See  also  Charles  V.  Hanna,  The  Wilderness  Trail, 

I.  248. 

60.  Mahanoy  Path 

y 

Prom  Lew  is  town  to  Selinsgrove 

The  course  of  the  Mahanoy  Path  has  not  been 
closely  defined,  but  its  existence  as  a “Warriors 
Path”  and  as  a "Trading  Path”  is  attested  by 
records  in  the  Land  Office:  “Gottfret  Clyne  . . . 
Between  the  Warriors  Path  and  Jacks  Moun- 
tain”;1 Hugh  Brown  “.  . . under  jatks  Mountain 
on  the  South  side  and  lying  above  the  Trading 
Path  about  a mile  from  the  head  of  the  Long 
Hollow-.”2 

According  to  Charles  Fisher  Snvdcr,3  the 
Mahanoy  Path  ran  northeast  from  Kishaco- 
quillas'  Town  (Lewistown)  on  the  Juniata  up 
Jacks  Creek  to  the  vicinity  of  Maitland  and 
Wagner,  at  both  of  which  places  he  has  found 
warrants  that  mention  it.  It  passed  through 
Middlcburg,  where  a tract  surveyed  in  1766  was 
described  as  “on  the  old  trading  path,”'1  and 
reached  the  Susquehanna  in  the  vicinity  of 
Selinsgrove. 

The  Mahanoy  Path  received  its  name  from 
Mahanoy  Creek  (the  former  name  of  what  is 
now  Middle  Creek,  Snyder  County)/’  the  valley 
of  which  it  followed  for  about  ten  miles. 

FOR  IMF  MO  LORIS  I 

P . S.  5 22  follows  the  general  course  of  the 
path  from  Lewistown  to  Selinsgrove. 

'West  Side  \pplications  (1707),  No.  4616,  bureau  of 
1 and  Records. 

’Cumberland  County  Warrants,  B 87. 

'"  I lie  (treat  Shamokin  Path  and  Other  Indian  Frails 
Which  Radiated  from  the  Forks  of  the  Susquehanna," 
Northumberland  County  Historical  Society,  Proceedings, 
XIV  (1944),  46-47. 

1 West  Side  \pplicat ions.  No.  162:  Survey  D 16-29,  to 
Mexander  Clay. 

John  Martin  Stroup  and  Raymond  Martin  Bell,  The 
Genesis  of  Mifflin  County.  Pennsylvania  (Lewistown,  Pa., 
1 9.77)  , 67. 


61.  Mahoning  Path 

O 

Prom  Beaver,  Pa.,  to  Akron,  Ohio 

There  were  several  paths  called  the  Mahon- 
ing Path,  just  as  there  were  several  Mahoning 
creeks,  Mahoning  runs,  and  Mahoning  towns. 
The  Delaware  word  tnahoni  means  "lick”  (deer 
lick)  . When  the  locative  -ing,  -ink,  or  -unk  is 
added,  the  word  Mahoning  means  “at  the  deer 
lick.” 

1.  Fhe  Mahoning  Path  from  Beaver  to  Akron 
was  a short  cut  on  the  Great  Path.  Beverly 
Bond,  in  The  foundations  of  Ohio,1  writes,  “The 
Mahoning  Frail,  as  the  shortest  route,  was  es- 
peiiallv  popular  with  couriers  on  foot  between 
Detroit  and  the  Pennsylvania  frontier.” 

Leaving  the  Great  Path  at  Beaver's  Town 
(Beaver)  , the  Mahoning  Path  ran  up  the  west 
side  ol  the  Beaver  River  to  Kuskuskies  (New 
Castle)  , and  continued  up  the  east  side  of  the 
Mahoning  Valley  to  Youngstown,  Ohio.  From 
Youngstown  one  branch  of  the  path  led  west 
through  the  Ohio  towns  of  Milton,  Palmyra, 
Edinburg,  and  Ravenna,  “crossing  the  Cuyahoga 
at  Standing  Rock  about  a mile  above  the  present 
town  of  Kent,”  as  the  Rev.  F.  V.  Collins  writes.2 
From  the  Indian  town  of  Cayahaga  (Akron)  , 
this  branch  ran  west  to  join  the  Great  Path  on 
the  headwaters  of  the  Sandusky  River. 

An  alternate  branch  from  Youngstown  ran 
northwest  to  a crossing  of  the  Mahoning  River 
near  Girard.  From  there  it  struck  west  between 
Mineral  Ridge  and  Niles  to  the  Salt  Spring3 
(about  a mile  southwest  of  Niles)  , where  it  was 
joined  by  the  Cayahaga  Path  from  Venango 
(Franklin)  and  Pymatuning. 

2.  The  name,  Mahoning  Path,  was  sometimes 
given  to  that  section  of  the  Nescopeck  Path 
which  the  Moravians  used  when  they  traveled 
from  Bethlehem  to  their  mission  town  of 
Gnadenhiitten  (1746-1755)  at  the  mouth  of 
Mahoning  Creek  at  Lehighton.  See  Nescopeck 
Path. 

3.  Another  Mahoning  Path  ran  from  Muncy 
on  the  West  Branch  of  the  Susquehanna  to  the 
mouth  of  Mahoning  Creek  at  Danville  on  the 
North  Branch.  See  Muncy-Mahoning  Path. 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  61-62 


97 


MAHONING^"" 
( Newton  Fa  1 1 s')  • A 


CAYAHAGA 
( Akron) * 


FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

To  follow  the  first  Mahoning  Path  (Beaver  to 
Akron)  as  closely  as  possible  on  good  motor 
roads,  take  Pa.  18  north  from  Rochester  (op- 
posite Beaver  at  the  mouth  of  the  Beaver 
River) . This  road  crosses  the  Beaver  River  at 
Beaver  Falls  and  from  there  follows  the  old 
path  through  Moravia  (site  of  the  Moravian 
Indian  mission  town  of  Friedensstadt,  1765- 
1772)  to  New  Castle.  No  modern  highway  ex- 
cept the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad  follows 
the  east  bank  of  the  Mahoning  River  as  the 
Mahoning  Path  did;  but  the  general  course  of 
the  old  highway  may  be  seen  if  one  takes  U . S. 
■122  west  from  New  Castle  to  Youngstown,  Ohio, 
and  there  turns  left  on  Ohio  18  for  Akron;  or 
if  one  continues  on  422  from  Youngstown  past 
Niles  to  Warren  and  there  turns  left  on  Ohio  5, 
which  picks  up  the  old  path  and  follows  it 
through  Ravenna  and  Kent  to  Cayahaga  Indian 
Town  at  Akron. 

1 (Columbia,  Ohio,  1941),  26. 

2 “Capt.  Samuel  Brady,”  Kittochtinny  Historical  So- 
ciety, Papers,  V (1905-1908)  , 103. 

3 Frank  N.  Wilcox,  Ohio  Indian  Trails  (Cleveland, 
1933)  , 70. 


MAHONING  PATH 

62.  Masthope  Path 

From  Indian  Orchard  to  Masthope 

Evidence  for  the  Masthope  Path  is  found  in 
Warrantee  Survey  D 109-205,  dated  1775:  . . 

about  five  mile  Tom  the  old  Indian  Orchard 
in  Lehiwaxin  o the  path  Leading  from  sd 
Orchard  to  a place  known  by  the  name  of  Mast- 
hope on  Delloware  River.” 

The  Masthope  Path  probably  ran  east  from 
Indian  Orchard  past  the  old  Rock  Branch 
School,  crossed  Swamp  Brook  and  Wolf  Pond 
Run,  and  followed  the  valley  of  Rattlesnake 
Creek  to  Masthope  on  the  Delaware  River. 


FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  Indian  Orchard  (3  miles  south  of 
Honesdale)  take  U.  S.  6 south  lor  about  i/2 
mile  and  turn  left  (east)  on  L.  R.  958.  Follow 
958  to  Masthope. 


INDIA N PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  63 


OH 


63.  Maxatawny  Path 

y 

From  Easton  to  Reading 


The  Maxatawny  Path  ran  from  Lechawekink 
(the  Forks  of  the  Delaware,  including  Easton, 
Rethlehem,  and  Allentown)  , through  the  Indian 
settlement  at  Maxatawny  (Kutztown  and  vi- 
cinity) to  Maiden  Creek  and  Reading. 

The  area  now  comprised  in  Maxatawny 
Township  was  formerly  much  loved  by  the 
Delaware  Indians,  who  remained  here  for  some 
time  after  white  settlers  surrounded  them,  main- 
taining friendly  relations  with  the  newcomers. 
In  1729  Daniel  Levan,  a Huguenot,  took  up 
land  hereabouts.  At  the  foot  of  the  hill  on  the 
east  side  of  Kutztown,  he  built  a stone  house 
which,  under  his  son-in-law  George  Kemp,  be- 
came a famous  tavern,  said  to  be  the  earliest  in 
eastern  Berks  County.  It  is  still  known  at 
Kemp’s  Hotel. 

There  is  a lack  of  explicit  evidence  for  this 
traditional  Indian  path.  But  the  known  pres- 


ence of  so  main  Indians  in  Maxatawny  Town- 
ship presupposes  highway  connections  with  the 
Forks  of  the  Delaware  and  the  Indian  paths 
radiating  from  it,  as  also  with  Reading,  where 
the  Allegheny  Path  from  Philadelphia  to  Harris- 
burg and  Pittsburgh  crossed  the  Schuylkill 
River. 

The  white  man’s  road  following  this  same 
route  (orders  for  the  construction  of  which 
were  issued  in  1754)  ran  along  a gentle  ridge  in 
the  middle  of  the  wide  valley  bounded  bv  the 
Lehigh  (or  South)  Mountain  and  on  the  north 
by  the  Blue  Mountain.  The  terrain  is  so  well 
suited  to  moccasined  travel  that  one  can  be 
sure  the  Maxatawny  Delawares  used  it.  It  is, 
however,  probable  that  Indians,  when  they 
passed  directly  from  the  Forks  erf  the  Delaware 
to  the  vicinity  erf  Reading,  took  the  shorter 
though  more  difficult  way  through  Oley  which 


maxatawny  path 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  63 


99 


Count  Zinzendorf  described  in  1742.  See  the 
Oley  Path. 

The  Easton-Reading  Road,  which  provides 
the  principal  evidence  for  the  Maxatawny 
Indian  Path,  forded  the  Lehigh  River  and 
Jordan  Creek,  crossed  the  site  of  Allentown, 
passed  Trexler’s  (Trexlertown) , Haas  Hill,  the 
present  village  of  Maxatawny,  Hottenstein’s 
(Hottenstein  School  about  a mile  beyond  Mon- 
terey) , Kemp’s  Tavern  (Kutztown)  , Kempville 
(where  Daniel  Kemp’s  brother  Jacob  settled)  , 
Moselem  Spring,  Kirbyville,  Maiden  Creek, 
Ontelaunee,  Tuckerton,  Muhlenberg  Station, 
and  entered  Reading  by  way  of  the  Charles  Evans 
Cemetery. 

An  eastern  extension  of  the  Maxatawny  Path 
ran  from  Philipsburg  (on  the  Delaware  River 
opposite  Easton)  over  the  New  Jersey  moun- 
tains to  Somerville,  where  it  joined  the  Lenni 
Lenape  Path  (from  Philadelphia  to  Elizabeth, 
N.  ].). 

Two  early  roads  approaching  the  Maxatawny 
region  from  the  south  were  known  as  the  “Maxa- 
tawny Road”  (or  the  “Albany  Road,”  Albany 
being  on  Maiden  Creek  some  miles  northwest 
of  Kutztown)  and  the  “New  Maxatawny  Road.” 
They  intersected  the  Easton-Reading  Road:  the 
Maxatawny  Road  near  the  Hottenstein  School, 
the  New  Maxatawny  Road  at  Kutztown. 

EOR  THE  MOTORIST 

U.  S.  222  follows  the  Maxatawny  Path  closely 
between  Reading  and  Allentown;  then  U . S.  22 
less  closely  between  Allentown  and  Somerville. 


Mead’s  Path 

From  Clearfield  to  Meadville 

In  1788  David  and  John  Mead  of  Shamokin 
(Sunbury)  drove  four  horses  with  goods  over 
Indian  paths  to  Meadville  on  French  Creek. 
They  took  the  Great  Shamokin  Path  through 
Chinklacamoose  Old  Town  (Clearfield)  to  the 
vicinity  of  present  Luthersburg.  There,  at  the 
forks,  they  took  the  branch  to  the  right,  and 
followed  it  to  Venango  (Franklin)  . From  Frank- 
lin they  took  the  well-known  Venango  Path  up 
French  Creek  to  Meadville.1 

They  are  said  to  have  widened  the  path  from 
the  mouth  of  Anderson  Creek  near  Curwens- 
vi lie  to  Venango.  In  consequence,  this  part  of 
the  path  to  Venango  is  often  known  as  “Mead’s 
Trail.” 

See  the  Venango  Path  and  the  Venango- 
Chinklacamoose  Path. 

1 W.  J.  McKnight,  A Pioneer  Outline  History  of  North- 
western Pennsylvania  (Philadelphia,  1905)  , 459. 


Meniolazomeka  Path 

o 

From  Bethlehem  to  Wilkes-Barre 
See  Wechquetank  Path. 


100 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  64 


MINGO  PATH 


64.  Minzo  Path 

o 

From  Brownsville , Pa.  to  Wheeling,  W.  Va. 

1 he  Mingo  Path  was  a western  continuation 
ol  Nemacolm's  Path.  Its  course  from  Redstone 
(Brownsville)  through  Catfish  (Washington)  to 
Wheeling  was  closely  followed  by  the  old  Na- 
tional Pike  and  is  still  for  the  most  part  followed 
by  the  new  National  Road,  U.  S.  40. 

Crossing  the  Monongahela  River  at  Browns- 
ville, it  ascended  a shoulder  of  Indian  Mill 
through  Indian  Peter's  Land,  a little  north  of 
Krepp  Knob.  The  National  Pike,  which  kept 
south  ol  the  Knob,  rejoined  the  path  about  two 
miles  west  ol  the  Monongahela  crossing. 

Road  and  trail  together  ran  past  what  is  now 
Taylor  Church,  through  Centerville  (formerly 
l ast  Bethlehem)  , near  Beallsville  (the  path  by- 
passed the  actual  site,  using  the  higher  ground 
to  the  south)  , and  by  way  of  Scenery  Hill,  Odell, 
Little  Summit,  Strabane,  and  Pancake  (now 
Laboratory)  to  Catfish. 

At  Catfish  it  veered  southwest  on  a course 
that  is  still  closely  followed  by  the  National 
Pike,  past  Sugar  Mill  and  Clavsville.  At  Vienna 
it  left  the  valley  of  Dutch  Fork,  which  now 
carries  the  National  Road,  and  went  up  over  the 
hills  on  a dry  but  zigzag  course  through  West 


Alexander  and  across  the  West  Virginia  line  to 
Valles  Grove,  where  the  National  Road  rejoins 
it.  From  that  [joint  the  Mingo  Path  followed 
the  valley  of  Wheeling  Creek  to  the  Ohio  River 
at  Wheeling. 

Earle  R.  Forrest,  in  his  History  of  II 'ashing- 
ton  County,  Pennsylvania,  notes  the  important 
part  played  by  the  Mingo  Path  in  the  develop- 
ment of  the  American  West:  “The  main  line  of 
travel  for  red  men  and  white  in  early  times,  it 
later  was  the  principal  route  for  emigrants  go- 
ing west." 1 

Across  the  Ohio,  the  Mingo  Path— widened  in 
1796  by  Ebenezer  Zane  and  since  known  as  Zane’s 
Trace— ran  west  to  the  fording  ol  the  Muskingum 
River  at  Zanesville,  where  trail  and  trace  sepa- 
rated. The  trail  continued  west,  while  the  trace 
bent  southward  to  Chillicothe  on  the  Scioto 
Riser  and  Limestone  (Maysville,  Ky.)  across 
the  Ohio  River  from  Aberdeen,  Ohio. 

That  section  of  the  Mingo  Path  running  from 
Brownsville  to  Catfish  (Washington)  was  some- 
times known  as  the  Catfish  Path. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

Eollow  U.  S.  40  from  Brownsville  through 
Washington  to  Wheeling. 

1 (Chicago,  1926),  1.  36. 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  65 


101 


65.  Minisink  Path 

From  Minisink  Island  to  Wilkes-Barre 


From  Minisink  Island  (in  the  Delaware  River 
three  miles  below  Milford)  the  Minisink  Path 
ascended  Indian  Point  near  the  month  of  Ray- 
mond Kill  and  followed  the  height  of  land  be- 
tween the  kill  and  Conashaugh  Creek.  After 
about  two  miles,  the  path  was  joined  by  what 
is  now  the  Blooming  Grove  Road,  and  they  ran 
together  for  another  two  and  a half  miles. 
About  a mile  west  of  the  bridge  over  Dwarf’s 
Kill,  path  and  road  parted  company,  the  path 
striking  off  northwest  on  a course  that  kept  it 
south  of  the  Log  Tavern  Ponds.  On  Cranberry 
Ridge,  two  and  three-fourths  miles  beyond  the 
southern  tip  of  the  second  and  larger  of  the 
Ponds,  the  Minisink  Path  was  joined  by  the  old 
Wyoming  Road  from  Milford.  From  that  point 
the  road  followed  the  path  closely  most  of  the 
way. 

From  Cranberry  Ridge  the  Minisink  Path  ran 
five  and  a half  miles  to  the  Sand  Spring,  an 
interesting  landmark  about  a third  of  a mile 
west  of  the  crossroads  at  Lords  Valley  and  within 
150  yards  of  the  modern  road.  From  the  Sand 
Spring,  after  passing  Lake  Giles,  the  path  came 
in  about  two  and  a half  miles  to  Blooming 
Grove  House  at  the  junction  of  the  Wilderness 
Road  with  the  Blooming  Grove  Road. 

Continuing  west  for  another  two  miles  to  the 
present  Blooming  Grove  (on  Kleinhans  Lake) , 
the  path  took  a nearly  straight  course  over  the 


hills  to  Paupack  Church,  which  overlooks  the 
artificial  Wallenpaupack  Lake.1  West  of  Pau- 
pack Church  the  path  crossed  Wallenpaupack 
Creek.  Beyond  the  creek,  its  course  has  not 
been  well  authenticated,  but  it  would  appear  to 
have  passed  south  of  Goose  Pond  and  to  have 
continued  west  by  St.  Mary’s  Church  and  Cen- 
terville School.  Pa.  3-18  joins  the  Indian  path 
at  Cooks  Pond,  about  a mile  and  a half  west  of 
Hamlin,  and  follows  it  to  Mount  Cobb. 

Path  and  road  part  company  again  about  a 
mile  west  of  Mount  Cobb.  The  path  crossc  ’ 
Moosic  Mountain  by  way  of  Indian  Spring, 
which,  according  to  H.  Hollister  in  his  1885 
History  of  the  Lackawanna  Valley ,2  “forms  one 
of  the  lesser  tributaries  of  Roaring  Brook.’’  The 
same  author  notes  that  “Near  the  mountain 
spring,  . . . this  old  Indian  path  for  several 
hundred  yards  to  the  east  of  it,  was  so  deeply 
indented  as  to  show  its  depth  and  general  out- 
line even  today.”3 

The  path  descended  Moosic  Mountain  by  com- 
paratively easy  grades,  keeping  well  above  the 
gorge  of  Roaring  Brook.  It  crossed  Little  Roar- 
ing Creek  near  its  mouth,  passed  through  Dun- 
more  and  Scranton,  and  forded  the  Lackawanna 
River  to  Capoose  Meadows,  where  it  picked  up 
the  Lackawanna  Path.  This  it  followed  to 
Lackawanna  and  Adjouquay  (Pittston)  . The 
Minisink  Path  continued  thence  along  the  east 


MINISINK  PATH 


1 1)2 


INDIA N PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  65-66 


side  of  the  Susquehanna  to  Wyoming  (Wilkes- 
Barre)  . 

Mast  of  the  Delaware,  the  path  ran  through 
New  Jersey  to  tidewater.  Its  course  has  been 
described  by  Wheaton  j.  I.ane  and  Thomas  J. 
Wertenbaker  in  From  Indian  Frail  to  Iron 
Horse: 

. . . From  Minisink  Island  ...  it  led  in 
a general  southeasterly  direction  to  Lake 
Hopatcong,  passing  through  the  present 
towns  ol  Mainesville,  Brant hville,  and 
Newton.  At  Lake  Hopatcong  it  turned 
east,  following  the  glacial  terminal  mo- 
raine to  the  Rockaway  River  and  Den- 
ville.  At  this  point  there  appears  to  have 
been  a division,  the  main  path  continu- 
ing on  to  Springfield  by  way  of  Parsippany 
and  Hanover,  while  the  other  rejoined  it 
after  pursuing  a more  southerly  course  to 
Springfield  through  Morristown,  Madi- 
son. and  Chatham.  This  second  route 
closely  followed  the  line  of  the  terminal 
moraine.  From  Springfield,  the  trail  led 
south  tt>  Metuchen,  crossed  the  Raritan, 
and  then  turned  east,  ending  at  the 
Shrewsbury  and  Navesink  Rivers.'1 

I he  New  Jersey  part  of  the  Minisink  Path 
was  a well-beaten  highway,  from  two  to  three 
feet  wide.  Over  it  the  Indians,  especially  the 
Munsee  (Minsi)  branch  of  the  Delawares, 
traveled  throughout  the  year.  Its  main  func- 
tion was  to  provide  an  easy  way  to  the  shell 
fisheries  on  the  seacoast.  The  many  shell  heaps 
discovered  by  archeologists  about  the  mouths 
ol  the  Raritan  and  Shrewsbury  rivers  attest  the 
extensive  use  of  sea  food  by  these  Indians.  The 
meat  was  dried  and  strung,  to  be  carried  up  to 
Minisink.  I he  shells  supplied  the  raw  mate- 
rial for  wampum.  In  later  times  the  path  was 
used  for  trade  with  the  white  men. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  Minisink  Island  (3  miles  south  of  Mil- 
ford on  U.  .S'.  209)  take  L.  R.  51008 , follow  it  for 
I1/2  miles,  turn  left  on  L.  R.  51001  for  about  i/2 
mile,  and  then  turn  right  on  L.  R.  51007.  Follow 
5/007  for  about  (i  miles  to  /..  R.  950.  Turn  right 
and  follow  950  to  Lords  Valley.  There  turn  left 
(west)  on  I..  R.  51019  and  continue  with  it 
through  Blooming  Grove.  Since  it  is  impossible 
to  follow  the  path  through  the  new  Lake  Wallen- 
paupack,  the  motorist  will  have  to  make  a wide 


detour  round  the  lake  head.  Continue  on  51019 
to  meet  Pa.  507 , follow  507  till  it  runs  into  U.  S.  6, 
and  follow  the  latter  to  Wilsonville.  There  turn 
southwest  on  Pa.  590  to  Hamlin.  Beyond  Ham- 
lin take  Pa.  3/S.  follow  it  to  its  junction  with 
Pa.  611 , and  take  611  to  Scranton.  From  Scranton 
follow  U.  S.  11  to  Wilkes-Barre. 

1 I he  Wyoming  Road  appears  to  have  left  the  Minisink 
Path  several  miles  east  of  Paupack  Church  and  made  a 
detour  to  find  easier  grades.  It  ran  northwest  from 
Blooming  (.rose  to  Cates  Hill,  no  doubt  following  another 
Indian  path  headed  for  Indian  Orchard  near  Honcsdale. 
I.eaving  this  Indian  path  near  I'afton.  it  swung  west 
round  the  north  end  of  Blooming  Grove  Bond  (now 
Fairview  lake),  and  picked  up  the  Minisink  Path  again 
about  a mile  and  a quarter  east  of  Paupack  Church. 

- i Philadelphia,  1885),  51. 

3 I hid.,  50. 

' (Princeton,  1930)  , 1(5. 


66.  Minsi  Path 

From  Philadelphia  to  Minisink  Island 
and  Kingston,  N.  Y. 

File  Minsi  Path  was  named  for  the  Munsee 
(Minsi)  Indians,  a branch  of  the  Lenni  Lenape 
or  Delawares,  who  lived  on  the  upper  Delaware 
River  in  the  vicinity  of  Minisink  Island,  the 
general  area  above  and  below  being  known  as 
the  Minisinks.  The  Minsi  Path  was  the  principal 
means  of  communication  these  Indians  had  with 
the  lower  Delaware  River  on  the  one  hand  and 
with  the  Hudson  River  on  the  other. 

From  Philadelphia  (chosen  here  as  a conven- 
ient starting  point)  the  Minsi  Path  followed  the 
Lenni  Lenape  Path  (the  Old  York  Road)  as 
far  north  as  the  village  of  Rising  Sun,  which  is 
about  three-quarters  of  a mile  south  of  Nice- 
town.  At  Rising  Sun  there  was  a fork.  Taking 
the  left  branch,  the  Minsi  Path  passed  Stenton 
(James  Logan’s  estate,  where  Indians  frequently 
congregated)  , and  followed  what  is  now  Ger- 
mantown Avenue  to  Mount  Airy  and  Chestnut 
Hill. 

From  Chestnut  Hill  the  Minsi  Path  is  followed 
fairly  closely  by  the  Old  Bethlehem  Pike 
(U.  S.  309)  by  way  of  Flourtown,  Whitemarsh, 
Fort  Washington,  Ambler,  Springhouse,  Mont- 
gomery Square,  Montgomeryville,  and  Colmar 
to  Line  Lexington.  There  it  turned  right  (as 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  66 


103 


also  did  the  original  Bethlehem  stagecoach  road 
which  was  built  on  this  Indian  path,  while  the 
later  Bethlehem  Pike  ran  through  Quakertown) 
and  went  by  way  of  Leidystown,  Mount  Pleasant, 
Blooming  Glen,  Hagersville,  Keelersville,  Apple- 
bachville,  Amity  School,  Pleasant  Valley,  Spring- 
field  School,  Leithsville,  and  Hellertown  to  Iron 
Hill.  There  it  turned  west  to  ford  the  Lehigh 
River  near  the  present  Minsi  Trail  Bridge,  some 
distance  east  of  the  mouth  of  Monocacy  Creek. 

After  crossing  the  Lehigh,  the  traveler  went 
north  about  a mile  to  a point  (now  the  junction 
of  Elizabeth  Avenue  and  Linden  Street)  where 
the  Minsi  Path  forked,  the  left  branch,  Pa.  191 , 
running  north  to  Nazareth,  while  the  right 
branch,  U.  S.  22,  ran  to  Easton. 

At  Nazareth  again  the  path  forked.  One 
branch  ran  east  to  Tatamy  (where  it  picked  up 
the  branch  going  through  Easton) , then  north- 
west to  Martins  Greek,  and  from  there  north  to 
Totts  (Tatamy’s)  Gap,  across  the  hills  flanking 
the  Delaware  Water  Gap,  and  so  on  to  Shawnee 
on  Delaware.  The  other  route  ran  north  from 
Nazareth  through  Schoneck  to  Wind  Gap  and 
Saylorsburg.  There  the  Minsi  Path  took  the 
right  fork  (the  other  led  to  Wyoming)  , passing 
present  Sciota  and  Sandhill,  and  going  on  to 
Snydersville.  There  again  the  path  forked,  the 
path  to  the  left  being  the  one  taken  by  General 
Sullivan  in  1779,  while  the  Minsi  Path  kept  to 
the  right. 

From  Snydersville  the  Minsi  Path  passed 
through  present  Stroudsburg  to  Pechoquealing 
(Shawnee  on  Delaware)  . Thence  it  followed 
the  Delaware  River  past  Bushkill,  Egypt  Mills, 
Dingmans  Ferry,  to  Minisink  Island,  the  princi- 
pal Munsee  town,  situated  opposite  Indian  Point 
at  the  mouth  of  Raymond  Kill. 

The  Minsi  Path  gave  the  Munsees  communi- 
cation with  their  kin  on  the  Hudson  River.  From 
Minisink  Island  it  ran  up  along  the  Delaware 
through  Milford.  Crossing  the  river  at  a ford 
just  below  Carpenter's  Point  (near  Tristate)  , 
it  came  to  Port  Jervis.  From  Port  fervis  the  path 
ran  east  up  the  valley  of  the  Neversink  River 
and  down  Rondout  Creek  to  Esopus  (Kingston, 
N.Y.)  on  the  Hudson  River.  Between  Esopus 
and  Port  Jervis,  the  Old  Mine  Road  of  the  Dutch 
followed  the  Minsi  Path.  West  of  Port  Jervis, 


104 


IX DIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  66 


the  Mine  Road  ran  down  the  New  Jersey  side  of 
the  Delaware  to  a copper  mine  in  the  vicinity 
of  Shawnee.  Early  settlers,  such  as  Nicholas  Depui 
and  Daniel  Brodhead,  who  were  already  here  in 
1727,  used  the  Mine  Road  from  Esopus  to  reach 
their  lands  in  the  Minisink  region.  Leroy  Jen- 
nings Koehler  in  The  History  of  Monroe  County, 


Pennsylvania,  During  the  Civil  War } notes  the 
claim  by  some  authors  that  there  were  seven- 
teenth-century Dutch  settlements  in  the  Minisink 
region  of  Pennsylvania  before  the  Swedes  arrived 
in  Chester  County. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

It  is  not  difficult  to  follow  the  Minsi  Path, 
most  of  the  way,  on  modern  roads.  In  Philadel- 
phia, follow  Germantown  Avenue  to  Chestnut 
Hill.  There  turn  right  on  U.  S.  309  and  (keep- 
ing to  the  old  Bethlehem  Pike  through  White- 
marsh  and  Ambler)  go  on  to  Line  Lexington, 
which  is  1 14  miles  north  of  Colmar.  At  Line 
Lexington  turn  right  on  L.  R.  616  through 
Mount  Pleasant.  Take  L.  R.  09088  to  Hagers- 
ville,  09068  to  Applebachville  and  Pleasant  Val- 
ley, L.  R.  09071  and  Pa.  412  to  Leithsville,  Hel- 
lertown,  and  Bethlehem. 

In  Bethlehem,  take  Pa.  191  and  follow  it  to 
Nazareth.  From  there  a succession  of  legislative 
routes  (48043,  48040,  48071 , and  166)  follow  the 
old  path  to  the  Wind  Gap.  North  of  the  Wind 
Gap,  take  U.  S'.  209  and  follow  it  to  Stroudsburg, 
from  there  take  the  river  road  to  Shawnee,  and 
follow  the  river  road  (L.  R.  45012)  till  you  reach 
U.  S'.  209  again  near  Bushkill.  Follow  209 
through  Port  Jervis  to  Kingston,  N.  Y. 

/Stroudsburg,  I!).">0)  , 10. 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  67 


105 


67.  Monocacy  Path 

From  Wrightsville  to  Frederick,  Md. 


From  Wrightsville,  one  branch  of  the  Mono- 
cacy Path  ran  to  York  by  way  of  Hallam  and 
Spring  Plains  (U.  S.  30),  while  another  ap- 
proached York  from  the  Susquehannock  Castle, 
which  was  known  during  the  eighteenth  century 
(after  the  refugee  Conoys  had  been  living  here) 
as  Conejohela.  This  palisaded  town  was  situated 
just  north  of  the  mouth  of  Canadochly  Creek  and 
opposite  Washington  Boro.  From  Conejohela  the 
Monocacy  Path  ran  by  East  Prospect,  Canadochly 
Church,  and  Plank  Road  to  York. 

From  York  the  path  ran  southwest  to  Hanover 
by  way  of  Nashville,  Spring  Grove,  and  York 
Road.  From  Hanover  it  continued  its  south- 
westerly course  by  Mount  Pleasant,  Littlestown, 
and  Oakgrove  School.  It  crossed  the  State  line 
into  Maryland  about  a mile  south  of  Oakgrove 
School  and  ran  on  to  Taney  town.  A mile  and 
a half  below  Taneytown  the  path  forked,  one 
branch  continuing  south  to  cross  the  Monocacy 
River  near  Frederick,  Md.,  the  other  turning 
west  to  cross  the  Monocacy  at  Mumma  Ford  west 
of  Keysville. 

The  Monocacy  Path  was  one  of  the  routes  that 
carried  a How  of  population  from  Pennsylvania 
through  Maryland,  Virginia,  and  a corner  of 
North  Carolina  to  Cumberland  Gap  and  so  into 
Kentucky.  The  old  rhyme  goes: 

Me  and  my  wife  and  my  wife’s  pap, 

We  walked  all  the  way  to  Cumberland  Gap. 


ton.  It  passed  the  Natural  Bridge,  the  vicinity 
of  Salem  and  Roanoke,  Radford,  Pulaski,  Wyeth- 
vi lie,  Marion,  and  Abingdon  (Washington  Court 
House)  . The  Wilderness  Road,  over  which 
Daniel  Boone  took  a party  of  settlers  in  1775  to 
Boonesborough,  crossed  Clinch  and  Powell 
mountains,  climbed  through  Cumberland  Gap, 
and  so  entered  the  fabled  Kentucky. 

Another  emigrants’  route  led  from  York,  Pa., 
over  the  Black  Gap  Road  (Cartledge’s  Road) 
to  Gettysburg,  Hagerstown,  Md.,  and  Winches- 
ter, Va.,  near  which  latter  place  it  was  joined  by 
the  route  from  Hanover.1 

The  late  Dr.  Arthur  G.  Tracey  of  Hampstead, 
Md.,  has  closely  mapped  the  Monocacy  Path  in 
Maryland. 

By  Marylanders,  the  Monocacy  Path  was  some- 
times called  the  Susquehanna  Path. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

The  Monocacy  Path  can  be  followed  without 
too  much  difficulty.  From  Wrightsville,  take 
U.  S.  30  through  York.  About  4i/2  miles  west  of 
York,  veer  left  on  Pa.  116  to  Hanover.  Out  of 
Hanover,  take  Pa.  194  to  Taneytown  and  Freder- 
ick, Md. 

1 For  a description  of  this  route,  see  William  Allen 
Pusey,  The  Wilderness  Road  to  Kentucky  (New  York, 
1921),  51-55;  Robert  L.  Kincaid,  The  Wilderness  Road 
(Indianapolis,  1947)  ; and  John  Bakeless,  Daniel  Boone 
(New  York,  1939). 


From  Frederick,  Md.,  the  path  ran  southwest 
to  cross  the  Potomac  at  Harpers  Ferry.  It  ran 
up  the  Shenandoah  Valley  through  Strasburg, 
Woodstock,  Harrisonburg,  Staunton,  and  Lexing- 


I SI)/ AX  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  6S-69 


loti 


68.  Morrison  Cove  Path 

From  near  King  to  Martinsburg 

According  to  a local  tradition  reported  to  the 
writer  on  U.  S'.  220  near  the  boundary  between 
Bedford  and  Blair  counties,  several  Indian  paths 
climbed  over  Dunning  Mountain  into  Morrison 
Cove.  One  left  the  Raystown-Frankstown  Path 
(U.  .S'.  220)  in  Kimmell  Township,  Bedford 
County,  about  two  and  one-half  miles  south  of 
King  (that  is,  a little  more  than  three  miles 
south  of  the  Blair  County  line).  It  climbed 
south-southwest  over  Dunning  Mountain  into 
the  Cove. 

A second  path  left  the  Raystown-Frankstown 
Path  about  a mile  north  of  King,  at  a point  two 
or  three  hundred  yards  north  of  the  Blair  County 
line.  It  ( limbed  northeast  to  the  gap  in  Dunning 
Mountain  and  from  there  descended,  as  the 
modern  road  does,  to  the  vicinity  of  Martinsburg. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

I he  nearest  approach  to  these  paths  by  modern 
roads  is  from  Sproul,  about  a mile  north  of  the 
Blair-Bedford  line.  lake  the  township  road  east 
over  Dunning  Mountain  past  Indian  Spring  and 
so  down  into  the  Cove,  where  /..  R.  07050  will 
take  you  to  Martinsburg. 


6,9.  M n ncy  - Mahon  / u g 
Path 

From  Muncy  to  Danville 

Leaving  Muncy  and  ascending  the  hill  over- 
looking Glade  Run  from  the  north,  the  Muncy- 
Mahoning  Path  crossed  the  mountains  in  a south- 
easterly direction  and  then  turned  south  to  the 
valley  of  Chillisquaque  Creek  in  the  vicinity  of 
Washingtonville.  Thence  it  crossed  a range  of 
hills  to  the  valley  of  Mahoning  Creek,  following 
the  east  bank  to  the  creek's  mouth  at  Danville 
on  the  North  Branch  of  the  Susquehanna  River. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

koi  the  fust  few  miles  south  of  Muncy,  it  is 
difficult  to  follow  the  Indian  path  on  modern 


roads.  The  motorist  is  advised  to  take  L.  R.  -1106-f 
southeast  from  Muncy,  follow  it  for  about  3 miles, 
and  continue  southeast  on  country  roads  to  meet 
Pa.  5-f.  Follow  5-/  through  Comly  and  Washing- 
tonville to  Danville. 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  70 


107 


70.  Nanticoke  Path 

From  Calvert , Mel.,  to  Nanticoke,  Pa. 

The  exact  route  of  this  path  has  not  been 
closely  traced  except  in  certain  sections;  but  it  is 
known  to  have  been  used  throughout  its  length 
by  the  Nanticoke  Indians  during  the  five  years 
when  they  were  settled  at  Nanticoke,  east  of 
Wilkes-Barre  on  the  North  Branch  of  the  Sus- 
quehanna. The  southern  part  of  the  path  is  the 
best  known. 

From  Calvert,  Md.,  and  Oxford,  Pa.,  where 
paths  from  North  East,  Elkton,  and  other  places 
on  the  Eastern  Shore  converged,  the  path  ran 
north  along  the  height  of  land.  Dr.  }.  Alden 
Mason  writes:  “There  seems  to  be  general  con- 
sensus that  this  [path]  followed  the  ridge  between 
the  Susquehanna  and  the  Delaware  (Brandywine 
Creek)  watersheds,  and  seldom  crossed  streams. 
Much  of  it  was  later  incorporated  in  what  is 
called  the  ‘Limestone  Road’  [ U . S.  122]  . . -”1 

From  Oxford  the  Nanticoke  Path  ran  through 
present  Hayesville,  Russellville,  to  Cochranville. 
At  this  point  there  appears  to  have  been  a fork, 
the  branch  to  the  left  running  northeast  through 
Atglen  and  Gap  to  merge  with  paths  heading 
for  the  west;  the  other  (U.  S.  122)  continuing 
north  for  Nanticoke  by  way  of  Parkesburg,  Com- 
pass, Honeybrook,  Morgantown,  and  Reading. 
Beyond  Reading  the  path  ran  to  what  was  once 
a large  Indian  settlement  on  the  Dreibilbis  farm 
on  Maiden  Creek  at  Virginville. 

From  Virginville  the  path  crossed  the  Blue 
Mountain  by  a route  not  precisely  known.  Pass- 
ing through  Tamaqua,  it  went  on  through  the 
gap  between  Locust  and  Nesquehoning  moun- 
tains to  Hazleton.  North  of  Hazleton  it  must 
have  crossed  Sugar  Mountain,  Buck  Mountain, 
Nescopeck  Mountain,  and  Penobscot  Mountain 
before  it  reached  the  Warrior  Gap  in  Wilkes- 
barre  Mountain.  Here  it  was  joined  by  the 
Lehigh  Path  from  Bethlehem.  From  the  Warrior 
Gap  a short,  easy  run  took  it  to  Nanticoke. 

1 he  northern  section  ol  this  path  was  difficult 
especially  in  that  part  ol  it  lying  between  Hazle- 
ton and  Nanticoke,  where  it  had  to  cross  four 
steep  mountains  without  the  aid  of  a gap  to  ease 


NANTICOKE  PATH,  SOUTH 


108 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PF.XXSYL  VAX  I A : No.  70 


the  grade.  It  is  understandable  that  it  was  not 
much  used  by  white  men.  When  in  July,  1778, 
after  the  Battle  of  Wyoming,  settlers  fled  the 
Wyoming  Valley,  thev  avoided  this  path.  Most 
of  them  came  by  wav  of  Nescopeck  or  Wyoming. 
A few  t ame  by  way  of  Wapwallopen  or  Pittston. 
None  are  recorded  to  have  taken  the  Nanticoke 
Path.  It  is  not  impossible  that  the  Nanticokes 
themselves,  when  they  brought  children  or  old 
people  north  with  them,  preferred  a roundabout 
w'ay  through  Shamokin  (Sunbury).  Coming  north 
by  this  latter  route,  they  would  leave  the  Nanti- 
coke Path  a mile  or  two  north  of  Morgantown 
and  take  the  Allegheny  Path  through  Allegheny- 
villc  and  dir  Kluft,  thence  proceed  by  the  Tulpe- 
hocken  Path  through  Womelsclorf  and  Bethel  to 
Sunbury.  There  they  would  turn  east  up  the 
Great  Warriors  Path  for  the  Wyoming  Valley 
and  their  settlement  at  Nanticoke. 

The  Nanticokes,  after  they  had  settled  on  the 
North  Branch  of  the  Susquehanna,  used  to  re- 
turn seasonally  to  their  old  haunts  on  the  Eastern 
Shore  to  fish  and  feast  on  shellfish.  Hamil  Kenny, 
in  The  Origin  and  Meaning  of  the  Indian  Place 
Names  of  Maryland ,2  notes  that  the  meaning  of 
the  word  Chesapeake  is  probably  "Great  shell-fish 
bay.” 

On  the  Limestone  Road  and  elsewhere  on  this 
path  the  tradition  is  preserved  of  Nanticoke  In- 
dians being  seen  passing  on  their  way  from  north 
to  south  and  back  again.  Harry  Wilson,  in  a 
paper  read  before  the  Chester  County  Historical 
Society  in  1925,  asserted  that  the  Nanticokes  went 
south  twice  a year:  in  spring  to  fish  in  Chesa- 
peake Bay  and  the  Choptank  River,  in  the  fall 
to  feast  on  oysters.  He  reported  having  been  told 
by  Augustus  Duer,  Colonel  of  the  97th  Regiment 
of  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  in  the  Civil  War, 
that  when  he  was  a small  boy,  “an  old  lady, 
Hannah  Glendenning,  had  told  him  in  one  of 
her  reminiscent  talks  that  she  often  saw  the  In- 
dians passing  her  father’s  log  cabin  when  she  was 
a child  . . . bands  of  the  Nanticoke  tribe,  who 
never  disturbed  any  of  the  settlers  or  their  prop- 
erty." 

The  Lancaster  County  Historical  Society  has 
erected  a marker  three  and  three-fourths  miles 
east  of  Clay  on  Indian  Run  (which  enters  Cocali- 
co  Creek  half  a mile  north  of  Ephrata,  Lancaster 
County)  to  commemorate  a "Nanticoke”  Indian 


village  situated  there  "between  the  years  1721 
and  17-18.” 


In  1951  Monroe  Haney  of  nearby  Indian  Lake 
told  the  present  writer  the  following  tradition, 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  70-71 


]()lJ 


which  had  been  reported  to  him  by  Amos  Eberly: 
“That  one  night  an  ancestor  of  his  [Amos  Eb- 
erly’s]  was  awakened  by  some  Indians  who  in- 
vited him  to  come  out  with  them  and  watch 
them  bury  the  body  of  a chief  they  had  brought 
with  them  from  Sunbury  [formerly  the  Indian 
town  of  Shamokin].”  It  is  well  known  that  the 
Nanticokes,  when  they  moved,  carried  the  bones 
of  their  ancestors  with  them,  even  to  distant 
places— though  it  was  more  usually  to  a new  home 
than  back  to  an  old  one. 

Even  after  they  had  left  the  settlement  at  Nan- 
ticoke  for  Otseningo  (Zeninge  or  Chenango,  near 
Binghamton)  , which  was  the  Southern  Door  of 
the  Iroquois  Longhouse,  they  returned  in  season 
to  Chesapeake  Bay.  The  Moravians  at  Frieden- 
shiitten  (Wyalusing)  recorded  in  the  mission 
diary  for  May  31,  1765,  that  “Some  Nanticokes 
from  Zeninge  arrived  en  route  for  the  southward 
to  hunt.” 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

The  motorist  can  follow  the  general  route  of 
this  path  easily  on  Pa.  10  from  Oxford  through 
Parkesburg  and  Morgantown  to  Reading.  North 


of  Reading,  the  Nanticoke  Path  followed  Maiden 
Creek  to  Virginville  and  Lenhartsville.  The 
motorist  can  get  through  easily  enough,  though 
there  is  no  direct  road  to  Virginville.  From 
Lenhartsville,  country  roads  will  take  him  over 
the  Blue  Mountain  to  Kepner,  West  Penn,  and 
Tamaqua.  From  Tamaqua,  U.  S.  309  will  take 
him  to  Hazleton.  Beyond  Hazleton,  309  prob- 
ably follows  the  general  route  of  the  Indian  path 
for  a few  miles.  No  motor  road,  however,  fol- 
lows the  path  closely  as  it  crossed  the  last  moun- 
tains to  the  Susquehanna  River  at  Nanticoke. 

The  motorist  at  this  end  of  his  journey  has  a 
choice  of  two  picturesque  routes:  (1)  leaving 

U.  S.  309  at  a point  about  i/2  mile  north  of  Nes- 
copeck  Pass  (in  other  words,  about  10  or  11  miles 
beyond  Hazleton)  , there  turning  left  on  L.  R. 
40022  (a  good  road)  through  Dorrance  to  Slocum 
Corners,  and  from  there  by  L.  R.  40034  and 
L.  R.  40033  (also  good  roads)  to  Nanticoke;  (2) 
following  U.  S.  309  through  Solomon  Gap  to  the 
outskirts  of  Wilkes-Barre,  there  turning  left  on 
a good  road  to  Nanticoke. 

1 Pennsylvania  Archaeologist,  XI,  No.  2 (April,  1941)  ,30. 

2 (Baltimore,  1961),  57. 


71.  JVemacolin’s  Path 

(The  Braddock  Road) 

From  Cumberland,  Md.,  to  Brownsville  and  Pittsburgh 


Nemacolin’s  Path  was  named  for  an  Indian 
who  is  said  to  have  been  employed  in  1752  “by 
Christopher  Gist  and  Colonel  Thomas  Cresap, 
acting  for  the  Ohio  Company,  in  blazing  the  most 
direct  trail  between  Will’s  Creek  (Cumberland, 
Md.) , and  the  mouth  of  Redstone  Creek  on  the 
Monongahela  River.”1  West  of  Chestnut  Ridge 
the  name  has  come  to  be  applied  also  to  those 
sections  of  the  Catawba  Path  and  other  Indian 
paths  which  General  Braddock  used  in  his  ap- 
proach to  Fort  Duquesne. 

From  Will’s  Creek  to  the  Half  King’s  Rock 
east  of  Uniontown,  Nemacolin’s  Path  was  fol- 
lowed closely  by  the  Braddock  Road,  except  tor 
the  first  few  miles  over  Will’s  Mountain.  Brad- 
dock, finding  he  could  not  get  his  wagons  and 
artillery  over  that  mountain,  went  round  by  the 
Narrows  of  Wills  Creek;  but  his  road  rejoined 


Nemacolin’s  Path  in  the  vicinity  of  Allegany 
Grove. 

West  of  Wills  Mountain,  Nemacolin’s  Path  fol- 
lowed the  general  course  now  taken  by  the  Na- 
tional Road,  U.  S.  40.  In  Maryland  it  crossed 
Big  Savage  Mountain  and  Negro  Mountain.  At 
Oakton  (Braddock’s  Bear  Camp)  it  passed  into 
Pennsylvania.  On  the  way  up  Winding  Ridge, 
it  kept  a few  hundred  yards  northeast  of  the 
present  highway.  It  ran  parallel  with  the  main 
street  of  Addison  at  a distance  of  less  than  a 
quarter  of  a mile  to  the  north,  and  crossed  the 
National  Road  about  a mile  west  of  that  town. 
Turning  down  into  the  valley  of  Braddock  Run, 
it  crossed  the  Youghiogheny  River  a few  hundred 
yards  north  of  the  run’s  mouth. 

On  the  west  side  of  the  river  it  turned  north, 
wound  about  the  shoulder  of  the  opposing  moun- 


JXD/AX  PATHS  OF  PEXXSY I .V  AX  I A : Xo.  71 


1 !0 

tain,  then  turned  southwest  up  Jockey  Valley, 
and  in  about  a mile  swung  west  and  northwest, 
widening  the  distance  south  of  the  National 
Road  to  about  a mile.  It  crossed  Little  Sandy 
Creek,  wound  around  the  southwest  base  of 
Hager  Hill,  and  came  down  to  the  Great  Mead- 
ows, site  of  George  Washington’s  Fort  Necessity. 

Skirting  the  Meadows  (a  little  to  the  south  of 
them  in  order  to  keep  on  dry  ground)  , in  about 
two  miles  the  path  crossed  the  National  Road 
at  Rraddock’s  Grave.  Passing  Braddock  Run  and 
Chalkhiil,  it  began  the  ascent  of  Chestnut  Ridge. 
It  rounded  Peddlers  Rocks  (keeping  them  on  the 
left)  and  swung  west  again  to  the  Half  King’s 
Rock  where  at  dawn  on  May  28,  175-1.  Washing- 
ton interviewed  the  Half  King,  Tanacharison, 
before  attacking  the  French  party  concealed  in 
Jumonville  Glen. 

At  the  Half  King's  Rock,  Nemacolin’s  path 
forked.  One  branch  led  to  Brownsville,  which  is 
situated  between  the  mouth  of  Nemacolin  Creek 
(now  Dunlap  Greek,  on  which  Nemacolin  had  a 
cabin)  and  the  mouth  of  Redstone  Creek.  The 
other  branch  led  to  Christopher  Gist’s  plantation 
and  there  forked  again:  the  one  path  leading  to 
Redstone  (Brownsville);  the  other,  to  Pittsburgh. 

The  pH tli  from  the  Half  King’s  Rock  to  Netna- 
colin’s  camp  and  Brownsville  ran  west  along  a 
spur  of  Chestnut  Ridge  and  descended  to  Hop- 
wood.  It  ran  through  Uniontown,  passed  near 
Haddenville  and  Dearth,  Brier  Hill  and  Davis- 
town,  and  came  to  the  Old  Indian  Fort-  ‘the 
Remains  ol  an  Indian  Retrenchment  of  a circu- 
lar Form”— 2 on  the  hill  above  Brownsville. 

I he  branch  ol  Nemacolin’s  Path  which  Brad- 
dock  followed  turned  north  at  the  Half  King’s 
Rock  and  the  adjacent  Washington’s  Spring.  Pass- 
ing close  by  what  after  1754  was  known  as  Jumon- 
ville Rocks  or  Jumonville  Glen  and  by  the  mod- 
ern village  of  Jumonville,  it  kept  to  the  ridge 
(which  becomes  very  narrow),  and  passed  Honey- 
comb Rock  and  Mount  Independence.  In  about 
mx  miles  from  the  Half  King’s  Rock,  it  descended 
to  the  plantation  Christopher  Gist  prospected  in 
17)1,  established  in  1752,  and  lost  to  the  French 
in  177}  during  the  Fort  Necessity  Campaign  and 
again  in  17:).)  alter  Braddock s defeat.  It  is  now 
the  site  of  Mount  Braddock. 

At  Gist  s again  the  path  forked,  one  branch 
running  to  the  Forks  of  the  Ohio,  the  other  to 


the  Monongahela  at  the  mouth  of  Redstone 
Creek.  The  latter,  known  locally  as  the  "true" 
Nemacolin’s  Path,  ran  west  from  Gist’s,  past  West 
Leisenring,  following  approximately  the  present 
township  line  separating  North  Union  Town- 
ship from  Dunbar  and  Franklin. 

fames  Veech,  in  The  Monongahela  of  Old. 
traced  the  path  closely  in  describing  the  course 
of  a road  made  in  1759  by  Colonel  James  Burd 
on  orders  from  Colonel  Henry  Bouquet: 

. . . The  road  followed  the  Indian  trail, 
passing  through  the  Rankin  and  Henshaw 
lands;  thence  nearly  parallel  with  Bute’s 
run,  through  the  Carter  lands,  crossing 
the  run  and  the  creek  near  the  run’s 
mouth,  and  near  Luckv’s  now  Vance's 
mill,  into  Jacob  Gaddis’  land.  It  crossed 
Jennings’  run  near  John  Gaddis,  or  B. 
Courtney’s,  thence,  in  a pretty  direct  line, 
on  through  the  old  Hugh  Crawford  and 
Adams  tracts,  now  Jacob  B.  Graham,  Wm. 
Hatfield  and  others,  until  it  came  to  a 
point  a little  north-west  of  where  the 
Johnson  or  Hatfield  stone  tavern  house 
stands.  Here  the  old  trail  bore  too  much 
to  the  right,  going  through  the  o'd  Grable 
place,  the  old  Fulton  place  (now  William 
Colvin’s)  , bv  the  old  Colvin  house,  the 
school-house,  Ayres  Linn’s  and  Isaac 
Linn’s,  to  the  mouth  of  Redstone.  But 
Col.  Burd  left  this  trail  at  the  point  indi- 
cated, and  took  along  the  high  ridges, 
through  the  Colley  and  Hastings  lands, 
near  Brashears’  and  Eli  Cope’s,  until  he 
reached  the  site  of  his  fort,  “a  hill  in  the 
fork  of  the  river  Monongahela  and  Nema- 
colin’s Creek”;  being  on  the  south  side 
of  Front  street,  opposite  where  the  fort- 
like  mansion  of  N.  B.  Bowman,  Esq.,  now 
stands.  When  completed,  the  road  was 
found  to  be  sixteen  miles  one  quarter  and 
sixteen  perches,  from  the  beginning,  near 
Gist’s,  to  the  centre  of  the  fort. 3 

From  Gist’s  the  branch  of  the  path  that  went 
to  the  Forks  of  the  Ohio  swung  sharply  northeast 
at  a point  just  east  of  the  present  Meason  House. 
The  spot  is  marked  on  a warrantee  survey  (B  14- 
162)  as  "Thomas  Gist’s  House,"  Thomas  being 
a son  of  Christopher  Gist.  For  a couple  of  miles 
the  modern  road,  U.  S.  11 9,  follows  the  windings 
of  the  path,  which  kept  to  the  height  of  land 
between  Gist  Run  (which  flows  into  Dunbar 
Creek)  and  Opossum  Run.  Then,  striking  north 
past  what  is  said  to  be  the  site  of  an  old  stockaded 
Indian  village,  the  path  reached  Opossum  Run  a 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  71 


1 1 1 


trifle  north  of  the  village  of  Trotter.  It  followed 
the  east  bank  of  the  run,  where  the  road  still 
goes,  passed  Robinson  Falls,  crossed  the  run 
where  the  present  bridge  lies,  and  came  in  a few 
hundred  yards  to  the  Youghiogheny  River. 

There  were  two  fords  in  this  vicinity.  One  was 
the  Broad  Ford,  a mile  and  a half  farther  down- 
stream. The  other,  “Stewardt’s  Crossing,”  which 
Braddock  used,  forded  the  river  from  below  the 
mouth  of  Opossum  Run  to  a point  just  above  the 
mouth  of  Mounts  Creek  in  the  northwest  out- 
skirts of  Connellsville.  This  ford  was  above  (i.e., 
south  of)  the  island  formed  by  the  outwash  from 
Mounts  Creek.  Stewart’s  Cabin  was  near  Craw- 
ford’s Cabin,  Crawford’s  Spring  and  Cabin  being 
where  the  Western  Maryland  Railroad  crosses 
U.  S.  119,  three  hundred  yards  southwest  of  the 
present  Lower  Bridge. 

From  the  mouth  of  Mounts  Creek,  the  path 
kept  to  the  height  of  land  between  that  creek 
and  Jacobs  Creek.  It  ran  north-northeast  (here 
following  a stretch  of  the  Catawba  Path)  to  a 
crossing  of  Green  Lick  Run  at  about  the  spot 


where  the  modern  road  crosses  it,  a quarter  of  a 
mile  from  the  run’s  mouth.  At  the  north  end  ol 
the  long  marsh  (which  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Green  Lick  Run  had  given  Braddock’s  engineers 
so  much  trouble)  , the  path  forded  Jacobs  Creek, 
the  ford  lying  between  the  present  towns  of 
Pershing  and  Stauffer.4 

From  Jacobs  Creek  the  path  ran  northwest  for 
three-quarters  of  a mile,  then  turned  straight 
north,  ran  up  what  is  now'  Eagle  Street  in  Mount 
Pleasant  to  the  summit  of  the  ridge  on  the  north- 
ern edge  of  the  town,  and  followed  the  same 
ridge  as  it  curved  north  for  about  two  miles  to 
Jacobs’  Cabin,  which  stood  above  the  southeast 
corner  of  Jacobs’  Swamp.5  Half  a mile  north  of 
Jacobs’  Cabin,  the  path  turned  west  and  ran  for 
nearly  four  miles  to  the  crossing  of  Sewickley 
Creek.  The  ford,  later  known  as  “Gowdy’s  Ford- 
ing,” was  about  a quarter  of  a mile  south  of 
where  the  modern  road  from  Stanton  bridges  the 
creek  into  Hunkers. 

From  the  ford  at  John  Gowdy’s,  the  path  ran 
about  half  a mile  to  the  Salt  Lick  (across  the 
creek  from  the  Delmont  Fuel  Company’s  No.  10 
Mine,  where  they  drilled  recently  for  water  and 
drew  up  brine)  . Then  it  ascended  the  ridge  in  a 
northwest  direction  to  Madison.  Following  the 
boundary  line  between  Sewickley  and  Hemp- 
stead townships,  it  crossed  Little  Sewickley  Creek 
about  a mile  east  of  Hermione,  passed  the  site 
of  the  handsome  Howell  House  (which  was  built 
facing  the  Braddock  Road,  here  still  in  use)  , 
crossed  what  was  later  to  be  the  Chambers  Farm 
(now  owned  by  H.  Glenn  Gongaware) , and 
went  straight  on  to  Circleville. 

There  is  evidence  that  from  this  point  General 
Braddock  in  1755  had  intended  to  continue  north 
for  another  nine  or  ten  miles,  taking  (from  near 
Trafford)  the  Sewickley  Old  Town  Path,  which 
later  became  known  in  part  as  the  Haymaker 
Road  and  in  part  as  the  Logan’s  Ferry  Road. 
His  purpose  was  presumably  to  get  to  the  ridge 
path  which  in  1758  General  Forbes  was  to  follow 
on  his  successful  approach  to  Fort  Duquesne. 
Braddock  planned  to  avoid  the  more  vulnerable, 
though  shorter,  route  through  the  “defiles”  of 
Turtle  Creek.  But,  having  lost  a day  over  a 
blunder  made  by  his  guides,  and  seeing  engineer- 
ing difficulties  ahead  of  him  on  his  chosen  path, 
he  changed  plans.  Descending  by  the  valley  of 


LX  MAX  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  71 


! 12 

Long  Run  to  McKeesport,  he  crossed  the  Monon- 
gahela  twice  to  avoid  the  dangerous  path  through 
that  river's  narrows,  and  was  marching  down  a 
road  without  apparent  obstacles  when  disaster 
overtook  him.  Braddock's  Field  is  in  the  town 
of  North  Braddock. 

For  further  information  alxmt  the  Braddock 
Road,  see  John  Kennedy  Lacock,  "Braddock 
Road,”  Pennsylvania  Magazine  of  History  and 
Biography,  XXXVIII  (1914)  , 1-38,  which  has  a 
good  map  showing  the  camp  sites;  and  the  pres- 
ent writer's  “ ‘Blunder  Camp’:  A Note  on  the 
Braddock  Road,”  Pennsylvania  Magazine  of  His- 
tory and  Biography , LXXXVII,  No.  1 (January, 
1963)  . See  also  Winthrop  Sargent’s  History  of  ay: 
Expedition  Against  Fort  Duquesne;  Archer  But- 
ler Hulbert’s  Historic  Highways  of  America,  IV, 
83-87;  and  Franklin  Thayer  Nichols’  'T  he  Brad- 
dock Expedition”  (a  doctoral  dissertation,  Har- 
vard University,  1946). 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  Cumberland,  take  Md.  19  over  Wills 
Mountain  to  meet  the  National  Road,  U . S.  40 
about  5 miles  to  the  west.  If  you  prefer  to  follow 
Braddock’s  Road,  take  U . S'.  40  out  of  Cumber- 
land. It  goes  round  by  the  picturesque  Narrows 
of  Wills  Creek,  which  provided  easy  grades  for 
the  army  but  was  always  in  danger  of  flood. 

From  Wills  Mountain,  follow  the  National 
Road  all  the  way  to  Brownsville. 

Whether  your  primary  interest  is  in  the  Indian 
path  or  in  the  Braddock  Road,  the  National 
Road  is  still  your  best  guide.  From  Cumber- 
land to  the  summit  of  Chestnut  Ridge  it  is  never 
very  lar  I tom  the  early  path  and  road,  and  it 
shows  very  death  the  mountain  obstacles  that 
Crucial  Braddock  had  to  overcome.  But  at 
■Summit  (at  the  top  of  Chestnut  Ridge,  about 
>i  ■>  miles  west  ol  Fort  Necessity  and  5i/o  miles 
east  ol  l niontown)  you  must  leave  U.  S.  40  and 
turn  north  on  I . R.  201  Is.  In  about  a mile  you 
ate  at  the  Hall  Kings  Rock.  I here  is  a marker 
here  beside  the  road.  What  remains  ol  the  Rock 
may  be  seen  above  the  bank  on  the  west  side  of 
the  road. 

\ ou  are  now  back  on  Braddock’s  Road.  Con- 
tinue to  follow  /..  R.  261H  past  Washington’s 
Spring  and  Jumonville  Glen  (which  is  well  worth 


turning  aside  a few  hundred  yards  to  see)  to 
the  village  of  Jumonville.  Here  the  road  you 
are  following  leaves  the  Indian  path  and  runs 
down  into  the  valley.  To  get  back  on  to  the 
summit  of  the  ridge,  where  Nemacolin's  Path 
and  Braddock’s  Road  ran,  take  the  country  road 
that  runs  off  to  the  right  from  2611 5 about  l/, 
mile  south  of  the  village  of  Jumonville.  Follow 
this  road  downhill  for  a little  over  3/  mile,  when 
you  will  come  to  a small  crossroad.  Turn  left 
(north)  on  it  and  follow  it  back  onto  the  ridge. 
Stay  with  it,  running  north  along  the  narrow 
crest  of  Chestnut  Ridge  for  another  2i/2  miles, 
and  then  descend  to  the  site  of  Christopher 
Gist’s  plantation  at  Mount  Braddock. 

From  Mount  Braddock,  make  your  way  for 
about  a mile  by  whatever  road  is  convenient  to 
U.  S.  119,  and  follow  the  latter  north  into  Con- 
nellsville.  Or,  if  you  wish  to  follow  the  Brad- 
dock Road  more  closely,  cut  left  across  the  hills 
to  Trotter  and  follow  Opossum  Run. 

For  the  first  few  miles  after  Connellsville,  it 
is  not  possible  to  follow  the  old  path  and  the 
Braddock  Road  exactly;  but  you  will  never  be 
far  from  it  if  you  continue  on  U.  S.  1/9  north 
lor  about  3 |/o  miles  and  then  fork  right  on  L.  R. 
261  si.  After  3 miles  on  the  latter,  branch  right 
again  (east  and  then  northeast)  on  L.  R.  26176. 
Follow  this  road  straight  on  over  the  hill  to  the 
crossing  of  Green  Lick  Run,  where  you  are  very 
close  ter  the  Braddock  Road. 

Cross  Jacobs  Creek  into  Stauffer,  turn  left,  and 
in  about  \/>  mile  turn  right  (northeast)  on  a 
country  road  that  in  about  a mile  runs  into 
L.  R.  64126.  Follow  this  (it  is  very  close  to  the 
Braddock  Road)  into  Mount  Pleasant,  and  there 
go  up  Eagle  Street  (the  Braddock  Road)  to  its 
junction  with  Pa.  31 . It  is  possible,  but  difficult, 
to  follow  the  Braddock  Road  from  Mount  Pleas- 
ant round  what  was  formerly  known  as  Jacobs’ 
Swamp  to  Hunkers.  An  impatient  motorist  is 
advised  to  take  Pa.  31  west  out  of  Mount  Pleas- 
ant, follow  it  for  nearly  a mile,  turn  right  (north) 
on  /..  R.  64125,  and  follow  it  to  Hunkers,  where 
the  Braddock  Road  crossed  Sewickley  Creek. 

Northwest  from  the  crossing  of  Sewickley 
Creek,  the  Braddock  Road  ran  almost  straight 
northeast  to  Circlevillc.  The  motorist  can  touch 
it  at  onh  a few  places,  such  as  Madison,  the 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  71-/2 


Howell  house  (three-quarters  of  a mile  east  of 
Rillton)  , Margaret  Gongaware’s  house  (a  mile 
beyond  Howell’s) , and  Circleville. 

At  Circleville  Braddock’s  guides  made  a blun- 
der which  Christopher  Gist,  who  was  with  Brad- 
dock,  commemorates  on  his  map  of  the  expedi- 
tion by  the  name  “Blunder  Camp.”  The  delay, 
as  already  noted,  caused  Braddock  to  change  his 
plans.  If  you  wish  to  follow  where  he  probably 
had  intended  to  go,  take  the  road  to  Trafford, 
there  cross  Turtle  Creek  by  the  bridge  west  of 
town,  and  work  right  up  the  Haymaker  Road. 
Follow  it  as  straight  north  as  possible  (in  this 
rapidly  changing  area  it  is  useless  to  give  road 
directions)  for  about  6 miles  to  meet  Pa.  380. 
The  point  of  junction  is  near  "Bouquet’s  Breast- 


113 

works,”  the  last  strong  point  erected  by  General 
Forbes  before  he  reached  Fort  Duquesne. 

If,  on  the  other  hand,  you  wish  to  follow  the 
route  Braddock  actually  took,  turn  left  (west) 
at  Circleville,  go  down  the  valley  of  Long  Run, 
take  the  road  to  McKeesport,  and  work  your 
way  north  down  the  Monongahela  to  North 
Braddock,  where  markers  (off  the  main  road) 
identify  the  battle  site. 

1 Charles  A.  Hanna,  The  Wilderness  Trail  (New  York, 
1911),  1,  105. 

2 The  Papers  of  Col.  Henry  Bouquet,  S.  K.  Stevens  and 
Donald  H.  Rent,  eds.  (Harrisburg,  1941)  , Series  21644, 
Part  I.  181. 

3 (Pittsburgh,  1858-92)  , 30. 

4 See  Warrantee  Survey  D 99-132. 

5 D 46-100. 


72.  JVescopeck  Path 

From  Bethlehem  to  Nescopeck 


From  the  Forks  of  the  Delaware  (which  in- 
cluded the  modern  towns  of  Bethlehem,  Allen- 
town, and  Easton)  , the  Nescopeck  Patli  ran  to 
the  Moravian  Indian  town  of  Gnadenhiitten 
(Lehighton)  on  the  Lehigh  and  so  on  to  the 
North  Branch  of  the  Susquehanna  at  Nescopeck 
and  Berwick.  It  was  used  by  traders  and  mission- 
aries, by  Delaware  war  parties  during  the  French 
and  Indian  War,  and  by  settlers  driven  from  the 
Wyoming  Valley  after  the  Battle  of  Wyoming. 
The  best  known  section  is  that  between  Bethle- 
hem and  Lehighton,  where  the  Moravians  estab- 
lished a model  town,  Gnadenhiitten,  for  their 
Indian  converts,  on  the  Lehigh  at  the  mouth  of 
Mahoning  Creek. 

The  Nescopeck  Path  was  sometimes  known 
also  as  the  Fort  Allen  Path,  Fort  Allen  having 
been  built  in  1756  at  Weissport,  across  the  river 
from  Lehighton. 

Its  course  from  Bethlehem  was  through  present 
Weaversville  to  Cherryville— an  alternate  route 
lying  through  Catasauqua  and  Hockendaqua 
(Northampton) . From  Cherryville  the  path 
went  by  way  of  “Indian  Land,”  Berlinsville,  and 
Weiders  Crossing  to  the  Lehigh  Gap.  Emerging 
from  the  Cap,  it  passed  through  present  Palmer- 
ton  and  over  the  hills  behind  it  by  way  of  the 
Line  School  (lire  Line  being  a name  given 


to  the  early  road,  which  was  based  on  the  Indian 
path)  to  the  Indian  town  of  Pochapuchkug 
(Parryville)  at  the  mouth  of  Pohopoco  Creek. 
At  Weissport,  in  1756,  Benjamin  Franklin  built 
Fort  Allen  in  order  to  deny  the  use  of  this  path 
to  enemy  war  parties. 

After  fording  the  Lehigh  River  from  Weissport 
to  Lehighton,  the  path  ran  almost  straight  west 
for  about  two  and  a half  miles,  then  turned  north 
to  cross  Mauch  Chunk  Ridge,  Mauch  Chunk 
Creek,  and  Pisgah  Mountains.  Fording  Nesque- 
honing  Creek  at  the  present  town  of  Nesquehon- 
ing,  it  crossed  the  Broad  Mountain  to  Hud- 
sondale,  crossed  Spring  Mountain  to  Beaver 
Meadow,  ran  through  the  site  of  Hazleton, 
crossed  Buck  Mountain  by  a route  lying  be- 
tween a quarter  and  half  a mile  east  of  the 
present  road  through  Conyngham,  forded  Nes- 
copeck Creek,  and  crossed  Nescopeck  Mountain 
to  Briggsville. 

Here  the  path  forked.  The  branch  to  the  right 
went  north  to  Wapwallopen  and  thence  east 
over  the  hills  to  Wyoming  (Wilkes-Barre)  . The 
branch  to  the  left  proceeded  almost  due  west  to 
Nescopeck.  The  turnpike,  about  two  miles  west 
of  Briggsville,  turns  north  toward  the  Susque- 
hanna, while  the  Indian  path  continued  its  di- 
rect course  across  the  hills  for  another  mile  and 
a half  before  descending. 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  12 


From  Nescopeck,  a ford  just  above  the  mouth 
of  Xescopeck  Creek  took  the  Indian  path  across 
the  Susquehanna  to  Berwick,  where  old-time 
travelers  met  the  Great  Warriors  Path  from  Wy- 
oming or  Shamokin  (Sunbury) . A continuation 
of  the  Xescopeck  Path  ran  north  and  west  over 
the  hills  to  Muncy. 

I he  name  Nescopeck  Path  was  sometimes 
given  to  the  path  from  Catawissa  to  Xescopeck. 
It  followed  the  height  of  land  between  the  Sus- 
quehanna River  and  the  branches  of  Catawissa 
Creek  as  far  as  XI ifTlinvi lie.  From  there  it  kept 
near  the  river  bank  to  Nescopeck. 

I he  same  name,  Nescopeck  Path,  was  some- 
times given  to  its  continuation  from  Nescopeck 
to  Muncy. 

FOR  TI1M  MOTORIST 

While  it  is  not  possible  for  the  motorist  to 
follow  the  Nescopeck  Path  closely  all  the  way, 
he  will  find  good  roads  to  take  him  over  the  gen- 


eral route.  From  Bethlehem,  take  the  road  to 
Northampton,  either  by  way  of  Weaversville  (the 
usual  Moravian  route,  over  which  the  King’s 
Road  to  Fort  Allen  was  laid)  or  of  Catasauqua. 
From  Northampton  go  north  to  Cherryville. 
There  take  Pa.  45  and  follow  it  through  the 
Lehigh  Gap  and  past  Palmerton,  Weissport, 
Lehighton,  and  Jim  Thorpe  (Mauch  Chunk) 
to  the  junction  with  Pa.  29  a mile  or  so  east  of 
Nesquehoning.  The  route  just  noted  avoids  the 
hills  over  which  the  path  ran  between  Palmerton 
and  Parryville  and  between  Lehighton  and  Nes- 
quehoning (no  modern  road  follows  the  path 
between  these  last  two  places)  , but  it  is  pictur- 
esque and  rewarding.  Follow  Pa.  29  over  the 
Broad  Mountain  to  Hudsondale  and  continue 
on  it  to  Briggsville.  'T  here  leave  it  (29  runs  north 
to  Wapwallopen,  Mocanaqua,  and  Shickshinny) 
and  take  Pa.  93  west  to  Nescopeck. 

As  for  the  path  from  Catawissa  to  Nescopeck, 
the  following  roads  will  take  you  over  it:  L.  R. 
19089,  Pa.  242  (a  few  yards  only),  and  L.  R.  19020. 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  73 


11: 


73.  New  Path 


From  Middlesex 

The  New  Path— actually  a very  old  one— was 
a short  cut  on  the  Frankstown  Path  between 
Paxtang  (Harrisburg)  and  Aughwick  (Shirleys- 
burg)  . It  was  much  used  by  traders  after  about 
1749. 

Instead  of  going  round  by  way  of  Roxbury 
Gap  (from  which  there  were  alternate  routes 
through  Amberson,  Doylesburg,  and  Concord, 
or  through  Spring  Run  and  Shade  Gap)  , the  New 
Path  ran  north  from  Letort’s  Spring  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  Middlesex  and  Carlisle  to  Croghan’s  (Ster- 
rett’s)  Gap,  and  so  on  to  Aughwick  (Shirleysburg). 

The  main  branch  of  the  New  Path  forded  the 
Conodoguinet  at  Middlesex,  that  is,  at  the  mouth 
of  Letort  Spring  Run.1  Probably  there  were 
other  feeders.  Almost  certainly  there  was  one 
from  Croghan’s  settlement  on  the  Conodoguinet 
about  six  miles  west  of  Harrisburg.  John  Harris 
called  it  nine  miles  from  Croghan’s  to  the  Kitta- 
tinny  Mountain,  which  is  the  distance  by  direct 
route  from  Croghan’s  to  Sterrett  Gap.2  There 
may  have  been  another  feeder  from  James  Silvers’ 
place,  a mile  or  more  west  of  Croghan’s. 

After  descending  from  Croghan’s  Gap  to  Sher- 
man Creek,  the  path  followed  the  valley  west 
for  a few  miles,  passed  Andrew  Montour’s  (in 


to  Shirleysburg 

the  vicinity  of  Landisburg)  , Loysville,  and  Fort 
Robinson.  Continuing  west,  it  crossed  Tuscarora 
Mountain  at  Bigham’s  Gap  (now  East  Waterford 
Narrows)  to  the  vicinity  of  East  Waterford. 
There  it  joined  the  Tuscarora  Path,  following  it 
southwest  to  Waterloo.  Turning  west,  it  crossed 
Tuscarora  Creek,  and  at  Blairs  Mills  met  the 
branch  of  the  path  coming  up  from  Amberson. 

From  Blairs  Mills  the  New  Path  ran  up  the 
valley  of  Trough  Spring  Branch  to  Richvale. 
Thence  it  crossed  Shade  Mountain  and  Black 
Log  Mountain  to  Aughwick,  where  it  met  the 
main  branch  of  the  Frankstown  Path  coming  up 
from  Shade  Gap. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

The  general  course  of  the  New  Path  may  be 
followed  from  Carlisle  by  taking  Pa.  34  to  Drom- 
gold,  Pa.  S50  through  Landisburg  and  Loysville 
to  Honey  Grove,  and  Pa.  75  up  Path  Valley 
to  Waterloo.  From  Waterloo  take  the  country 
road  west  to  Blairs  Mills  and  Shade  Valley.  There 
is  no  modern  road  from  that  point  across  Shade 
Mountain  and  Tuscarora  Mountain  to  Shirleys- 
burg. The  motorist,  accordingly,  is  advised  to 
take  Pa.  35  at  Shade  Valley  and  follow  it  south 
to  Shade  Gap,  where  the  path  via  Spring  Run 


NEW  PATH 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  73-76 


1 16 

came  in  from  the  east.  At  Shade  Gap  take  U.  S. 
522  and  follow  it  west  and  north  to  Orbisonia 
and  Shirleysburg. 

1 See  Cumberland  County  Warrant  C 216.  and  Warrantee 
■Surveys  A 19-54  and  B 2-64. 

1 See  "An  Acct.  of  the  Road  to  logs  Town  on  Allegehcncy 
River,  taken  by  John  Harris,  1754,"  Pennsylvania  Archives, 
first  Series,  II,  137.  See  also  Charles  A.  Hanna,  The 
IVilderness  Trail  i\cw  York,  1911),  I,  253. 


74.  New  Castle  Path 

From  Nexu  Castle,  Del.,  to  Peach  Bottom,  Pa. 

I he  New  Castle  Path  was  sometimes  called 
the  Susquehanna  Path.  It  offered  a short  but 
wet  route  from  New  Castle  on  the  lower  Dela- 
ware River  to  Indian  settlements  on  the  Susque- 
hanna River  at  Peach  Bottom,  Pequea,  Shenks 
Ferry,  and  Cones  too  a. 

James  Logan,  the  Provincial  Secretary,  took 
this  route  when  in  1705  he  made  his  first  visit 
to  Conestoga.  Governor  John  Evans  came  the 
same  way  when  he  visited  Pequea  and  Conestoga. 

See  I).  II.  Landis,  "Postlethwaites,”  Lancaster 
County  Historical  Society,  Papers,  XII  (1908), 
MO-47. 


75.  JV 'ippeno.se  Paths 

From  the  West  Branch  to  Nippenose  Valley 

From  different  points  on  the  West  Branch  of 
the  Susquehanna,  there  arc  said  to  have  been 
Indian  paths  into  Nippenose  Valley.  One  came 
into  the  valley  from  the  east  by  the  Great  Island 
Path  (q.v),  which  crossed  North  White  Deer 
Ridge  into  the  valley  near  Collomsville.  A north- 
ern approach  was  from  Nippenose  Old  Town 
(a  little  below  the  Long  Island  opposite  Jersey 
Shore).  It  (Ut  through  a gap  in  Bald  Eagle 
Mountain  made  by  what  was  known  formerly 
as  Nippenose  Creek  and  is  now  known  as  Antes 
Cicek.  A third  came  in  from  the  west  by  way  of 
Love’s  Gap. 

Nippenose  Valley  was  named  for  an  Indian 


who,  according  to  the  "Indian  Commissioners 
Day  Book  at  Shamokin  [Sunbury],”  was  in  1760 
and  1761  a familiar  figure  there.  Nippenose  Old 
I own,  Nippenose  Bottom,  Nippenose  Creek 
(Antes  Creek)  were  also  named  for  him. 


NIPPENOSE  VALLEY 


76.  Ohio  Path 

From  Bethlehem  to  Pittsburgh 

Ohio  Path  was  a name  sometimes  given  to 
several  paths  that  crossed  Pennsylvania  from  the 
Forks  of  the  Delaware  to  the  Forks  of  the  Ohio. 

On  Main  Street  in  Bethlehem,  about  100  yards 
south  of  Hotel  Bethlehem,  is  a stone  marker 
with  the  inscription: 

SITE  OF  THE 
OLD  FINGER  BOARD 
POINTING  OU  T THE 
MAIN  ROAD  TO  OHIO 
ROAD  LAID  OUT 
1745 

The  marker  stands  at  the  top  ol  a lane  winding 
down  to  an  old  stone  bridge  across  Monocacy 
Creek. 

The  Moravians,  whose  headquarters  were  at 
Bethlehem,  used  different  routes  at  different 
times  to  the  Forks  of  the  Ohio.  John  Heckewelder 
and  Christian  Frederick  Post  in  1762  went  from 
Bethlehem  (probably  by  way  of  Oley)  to  Lititz, 
Lancaster,  Middletown,  Harris’s  Ferry  (Harris- 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  76-78 


117 


burg) , Carlisle,  and  Shippensburg.  From  there 
they  struck  out  into  what  he  calls  a “howling 
wilderness”  over  the  Raystown  Path,  taking  the 
short  cut  over  three  mountains  to  Burnt  Cabins. 
They  went  through  Bedford,  Edmund’s  Swamp, 
Bushy  Run,  and  Braddock’s  Field— where  “Skulls 
and  bones  of  the  unfortunate  men  slain  here  on 
the  9th  of  July,  1755,  lay  scattered  all  around; 
and  the  sound  of  our  horses’  hoofs  continually 
striking  against  them,  made  dismal  music.  . . 

The  name  Ohio  Path  was  also  sometimes  ap- 
plied to  paths  leading  from  the  east  to  Kittanning 
on  the  Allegheny— “the  Great  River,”  i.e.,  Ohio 
in  the  Iroquois  tongue. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

See  under  Oley  Path , Allegheny  Path,  and 
Raystown  Path. 

1 Thirty  Thousand  Miles  with  John  Heckewelder,  Paul 
A.  W.  Wallace,  ed.  (Pittsburgh,  1958)  , 40. 


77.  Oil  Creek  Path 

From  Waterford  to  Oil  City 

According  to  Walter  Jacks,  writing  in  the  Erie 
Motorist / there  was  an  Indian  path  “from  the 
vicinity  of  the  Show  Boat  at  Lake  Le  Boeuf 
southeast  to  the  mouth  of  Oil  Creek.”  John 
Reynolds,2  on  the  other  hand,  contends  that  this 
was  a white  man’s  path  made  in  1797. 

Undoubtedly  the  Indians  knew  Oil  Creek  and 
used  the  “Seneca  Oil”  found  on  its  banks.  But 
it  is  a question  whether  they  found  the  Oil  Creek 
watershed  a satisfactory  throughway  from  the 
head  of  French  Creek  to  the  Allegheny  River. 
The  soil  was  not  good  for  moccasined  feet.  B.  F. 
Congdon  of  Salamanca,  N.  Y.,  in  a school  essay 
written  in  1862  describing  a walking  trip  from 
Meadville  on  French  Creek  to  Rouseville  on  Oil 
Creek  explains  why; 

On  French  Creek  the  soil  is  sandy  and 
the  roads  dry  up  almost  immediately  after 
the  heaviest  rain,  but  as  we  approach  Oil 
Creek  the  soil  becomes  clayey  and  the 
weary  traveler  settles  often  ankle  deep 
into  the  old  detestable  Oil  Creek  mud 


which  no  one  who  has  ever  seen  it  will 
ever  forget. 

1 August,  1945,  2. 

2 See  his  manuscript,  “One  Hundred  Years  Ago,”  in 
the  Crawford  County  Historical  Society  at  Meadville. 


78.  Okehocking  Pa  th 

From  Valley  Forge  to  Gradyville 

According  to  a tradition  well  fortified  by  geog- 
raphy and  common  sense,  a southerly  extension 
of  the  Perkiomen-Lehigh  Path  led  from  the 
Schuylkill  River  at  Pawling  Ford  (near  Valley 
Forge)  to  the  Delaware  Indian  village  of  Oke- 
hocking. 

From  the  ford,  which  is  three-quarters  of  a 
mile  below  the  mouth  of  Perkiomen  Creek  and 
the  same  distance  above  Valley  Forge,  there  is 
a good  ridge  to  Paoli,  Whitehorse,  and  the  site 
of  Okehocking.  No  doubt  the  path  continued 
south  from  Okehocking— still,  after  crossing  Rid- 
ley Creek,  with  the  aid  of  a good  ridge— to  meet 
the  Great  Minquas  Path  at  Gradyville. 

Okehocking,  a tract  of  five  hundred  acres  on 
the  east  branch  of  upper  Ridley  Creek,  was  set 
apart  in  1701  by  William  Penn  as  a reservation 
for  certain  Delaware  Indians  from  lower  Ridley 
and  Crum  creeks  who  had  been  dispossessed  by 
his  purchase  of  land.  They  were  moved  to  the 
new  location  in  1703.  It  extended  north  from 
what  is  now  the  West  Chester  Pike  (Pa.  3),  and 
is  about  four  miles  west  of  Newtown  Square, 
seventeen  miles  west  of  Philadelphia. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  Pa.  23,  at  a point  about  1 1/2  miles  west 
of  Valley  Forge,  turn  south  on  L.  R.  15018,  which 
closely  follows  the  Indian  path  as  far  as  Paoli. 
From  there  continue  on  15018  for  another  2 
miles.  Then  turn  right  on  a township  road  and 
follow  it  for  nearly  a mile  to  meet  L.  R.  15228. 
Turn  left  (south)  on  15228  and  follow  it  for 
about  2 miles.  Then  turn  right  on  L.  R.  15098, 
follow  it  for  mile,  and  turn  left  on  L.  R.  15226, 
which  in  a mile  will  bring  you  to  the  site  of 
Okehocking. 

(See  map  on  next  page.) 


INDIAN  PATHS  OP  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  78-79 


I 18 


7.9.  Old  PetrOs  Road 

From  Downingtown  to  Bain  bridge 

Old  Peter’s  Road,  which  ran  from  Downing- 
town to  Conoy  Indian  Town  at  the  mouth  of 
Conoy  Creek,  was  laid  out  in  1718  on  Peter 
Bezaillon’s  bridle  path,  which  in  turn  had  fol- 
lowed an  old  Indian  path. 

At  Downingtown  several  paths  from  Philadel- 
phia and  the  mouth  of  the  Schuylkill  River  con- 
verged. From  that  point,  what  came  to  be  known 
as  Old  Peter’s  Road  ran  west  through  Gallagher- 
villc  and  Thorndale  to  ford  Brandvwine  Creek 
at  Siousca.  Thence  it  went  by  way  of  Wagon- 
town,  Compass  (where  Peter  Bezaillon  lies  bur- 
ied) , White  Horse,  and  Salisbury  to  Center 
Square.  It  forded  Conestoga  Creek  a few  yards 
south  of  the  confluence  of  Cocalico  Creek  and 
Conestoga  Creek.  I hence  it  passed  along  the 
dividing  line  between  these  townships:  West  Earl 
and  Upper  Leacock,  Warwick  and  Manheim,  and 
Penn  and  East  Hemphill.  The  importance  of 
Old  Peter’s  Road  is  seen  in  the  fact  that  these 
boundaries  were  based  on  it.  Fording  Chickies 
Creek  halt  a mile  south  of  Lancaster  function, 
it  continued  west  by  way  of  Mount  [oy  and 
Donegal  Spring  to  Conoy  Indian  Town  about  a 
mile  southeast  of  Bainbridge.  In  this  vicinity 
Peter  Be/aillon  was  in  171!)  granted  seven  hun- 
dred acres.1 

From  Conoy  Town  the  Indian  path  ran  north 
to  ford  the  Susquehanna  River  below  Conewago 
Falls.  Before  this  crossing,  the  path  forked.  One 
branch  continued  north  through  Falmouth  and 
Middletown  to  Paxtang  (Harrisburg) . The  other 
crossed  the  river  to  York  Haven.  From  this  point 
it  is  usually  known  as  the  Conoy  Path.  It  ran 
by  way  of  Newberrvtown,  Yellow  Breec  hes  Creek 
(which  it  forded  half  a mile  west  of  Lisburn)  , 
Bowmansdale,  and  Salem  Church  to  Letort’s 
Spring  (Carlisle)  . 

According  to  Martin  Hervin  Brackbill,2  Old 
Peter’s  Road  came  to  a fork  at  Mount  Joy,  the 
left  branch  running  as  described  above,  while 
the  right  branch  went  through  Elizabethtown 
and  Middletown— the  general  course  now'  fol- 
lowed by  U.  S.  230—  to  Harrisburg. 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  79  119 


It  is  said  that  Peter  Bezaillon  was  grieved  when 
the  Paxtang  Road  (now  better  known  as  the 
Horseshoe  Pike)  3 was  laid  out  in  1737  to  provide 
a shorter  way  between  Downingtown  and  Pax- 
tang (Harrisburg)  .4  The  new  road  made  a diffi- 
cult ascent  of  the  South  Mountain,  over  ground 
made  wet  by  mountain  springs.  Peter  Bezaillon’s 
road,  on  the  other  hand,  followed  a first-class 
Indian  path,  climbing  no  mountains,  avoiding 
spongy  ground,  making  use  of  good  fords  to 
cross  the  creeks  (modern  bridges  attest  the  sound- 
ness of  these  crossings)  , and  running  a straighter 
course  than  modern  roads  take  between  Down- 
ingtown, Bainbridge,  and  Carlisle.  When  Logan’s 
(later  Galbraith’s)  Ferry  was  established  at  Bain- 
bridge, Old  Peter’s  Road  and  its  continuation 
beyond  the  Susquehanna  was  for  many  years 
what  David  L.  Landis  calls  “the  main  artery 
between  Philadelphia  and  the  west.” 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

Sections  of  Old  Peter’s  Road  near  its  eastern 
and  western  termini  can  be  followed  closely  by 
the  motorist;  but,  from  the  point  where  it  leaves 
Pa.  23  in  the  outskirts  of  Bareville  to  within 
about  3 miles  of  Mount  Joy,  it  is  followed  by  no 
modern  highway.  The  route  traced  below,  how- 
ever, will  keep  the  motorist  either  on  the  old 
road  or  at  least  in  touch  with  it. 

From  Downingtown  take  U.  S.  30  (the  Lincoln 
Highway)  through  7 horndale.  Since  no  modern 
road  follows  the  old  bridle  path  out  of  Thorn- 
dale,  drive  about  2 miles  farther  west  on  30  to 
Cain.  There  turn  right  on  L.  R.  15121.  Go  north 
about  a mile  and  turn  left  on  Pa.  340.  You  are 
now  back  on  Old  Peter’s  Road.  Follow  340 
through  Siousca,  Compass,  and  White  Horse 
until  you  reach  L.  R.  36012,  turn  right— you  are 


still  on  the  old  road— and  continue  to  Springville 
(formerly  Salisbury)  . There  turn  left  on  L.  R. 
36013  and  follow  it  for  about  8 miles  to  Pa.  23 
at  Grotfdale.  Turn  left  on  23  for  about  a mile 
to  the  outskirts  of  Bareville. 

Here  for  a time  the  motorist  loses  Old  Peter’s 
Road,  being  unable  to  follow  it  along  the  town- 
ship lines.  He  will  do  well  to  continue  on  Pa.  23 
for  a little  over  3 miles  from  Bareville,  and  then 
turn  right  on  Pa.  772,  which  in  about  1 1/2  miles 
crosses  Old  Peter’s  Road.  Continue  on  772  to 
Brownstown,  and  just  beyond  it  turn  left  on 
U.  S.  222,  which  in  less  than  2 miles  crosses  Old 
Peter’s  Road  again.  Follow  222  to  its  junction 
with  U.  S.  230  (the  Lancaster  Pike) . Turn  right 
on  the  latter  to  Mount  Joy.  There  turn  left  on 
L.  R.  36002,  which  follows  Old  Peter’s  Road 
from  a point  3^4  miles  east  and  continue  to 
follow  it  west  from  Mount  Joy  through  Donegal 
Spring  to  its  junction  with  Pa.  241.  There  turn 
right  to  cross  Conoy  Creek  and  enter  Bainbridge. 

For  a continuation  of  the  path  across  the  Sus- 
quehanna River  from  York  Haven  to  Carlisle, 
see  Conoy  Path. 

1 See  endorsement  of  Warrantee  Survey  D 66-207.  See 
also  Samuel  Evans,  “Some  Early  Indian  Traders,”  Lan- 
caster County  Historical  Society,  Papers,  IX  (1905)  , 297- 
300. 

2 “Peter  Bezaillon’s  Road,”  Lancaster  County  Historical 
Society,  Papers,  XLIII  (1939)  , 5. 

3 The  name  “Horse  Shoe  Road”  was  used  as  early  as 
1753.  See  Warrantee  Survey  B 5-212.  The  Horse  Shoe 
Road  is  there  shown  as  diverging  from  the  “Paxtang 
Road”  (to  Harrisburg)  in  East  Earl  Township,  probably 
at  Blue  Ball.  Did  the  Horse  Shoe  Road  receive  its  name 
because  it  made  a horseshoe:  Downingtown  to  Blue  Ball 
by  the  Paxtang  Road,  then  to  Lancaster,  and  back  to 
Downingtown  by  the  Conestoga  Road? 

‘Frank  Eshleman,  "History  of  Lancaster  County's  High- 
way System,”  Lancaster  County  Historical  Society,  Papers, 
XXVI  (1922)  , 52. 


120 


INDIA N PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  SO 


SO.  Old  Swedes  Path 

From  Philadelphia  to  New  Castle,  Del. 

There  is  a tradition,  which  the  terrain  along 
by  the  Delaware  River  strongly  supports,  that 
the  King’s  Road  running  from  Philadelphia 
through  Darby  to  New  Castle  was  based  on  the 
Old  Swedes  Path  which  in  turn  was  based  on  an 
Indian  path. 

The  King's  Road  forded  creeks  at  the  head  of 
tide,  as  an  Indian  path  would  have  done.  The 
King's  Road,  indeed,  when  first  laid  out  (that 
was  before  1681),  even  by-passed  Chester,  the 
former  Swedish  settlement  of  Upland.  It  forded 
Chester  Creek  a little  above  Caleb  Pusey’s  house 
and  mill  (now  preserved  for  the  public  by  the 
friends  of  the  Caleb  Puses  House)  in  the  north- 
ern outskirts  ot  Chester,  about  a mile  and  a quar- 
ter from  the  Delaware  River. 

At  Darby  the  Old  Swedes  Path  or  King’s  Road 
running  east  joined  the  Great  Minquas  Path,  and 
presumably  followed  it  to  the  crossing  of  the 


Schuylkill  at  Fort  Manayunk.  Evidence  of  the 
junction  is  found  in  a rough  chart  of  the  land 
of  William  Wood,1  who  died  in  1685.  The  chart 
shows  a portion  of  the  “King’s  Roade”  a few 
hundred  yards  east  of  Darby  Creek,  running  into 
a path  which,  though  here  unnamed,  is  unmis- 
takably the  Great  Minquas  Path.  The  two  are 
shown  heading  together  a trifle  south  of  east 
towards  what  is  here  called  “Swedes  Mill  Creek” 
(Cobbs  Creek) . 

“The  King’s  road,”  wrote  George  Smith  in  his 
History  of  Delaieare  County,  Pennsylvania,  “run- 
ning from  Philadelphia  to  the  lower  Counties, 
was  located  higher  up  than  at  present.  It  crossed 
Ridley  Creek  near  Shoemakerville,  and  Chester 
Creek  above  Upland.  It  was  laid  out  (if  laid 
out  at  all)  so  as  to  head  the  tide  in  several  of 
the  creeks.’’2 

The  accompanying  map  is  based  in  part  on  the 
end  map  in  George  Smith’s  History  of  Delaware 
County. 

1 I aylor  Papers.  Historical  Society  of  Pennsylvania. 

3 (Philadelphia,  1862),  167. 


OLD  SWEDES  PATH 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  81-82 


81.  Oley  Path 

From  Bethlehem  to  Rending 

The  Oley  Path  ran  from  Bethlehem,  through 
Emmaus  and  Macungie,  to  Oley  and  Reading, 
where  it  joined  the  Allegheny  Path. 

Count  Zinzendorf  traveled  the  Oley  Path  on 
September  2,  1742: 

...  we  set  out  [from  Bethlehem]  and 
took  the  road  to  Tulpehocken,  keeping 
between  Long  Swamp  and  the  Oley 
Hills.1  We  rode  on  until  late  at  night. 
Before  we  reached  our  place  of  destina- 
tion it  grew  dark  as  pitch,  and  riding 
became  very  difficult.  I was  struck  on 
the  cheek  and  on  the  left  eye  by  the  limb 
of  a tree,  and  several  of  the  Sisters  fell 
from  their  horses.  No  one,  however,  was 
seriously  injured.  At  last  we  entered  the 
borders  of  Oley,  and  reached  Brother 
Biirstler’s  house.”2 

The  name  “Oley”  was  probably  a corruption 
of  the  Delaware  word  olink,  meaning  “hole”  or 
“cove.”  According  to  John  Heckewelder,  “Oley- 
Walo,  a hole”  meant  a “place  surrounded  with 
hills.”3  It  was  applied  by  the  Indians  to  a fertile 
cove  under  the  Oley  Hills  northeast  of  Reading, 
in  the  vicinity  of  Friedensburg  (Oley  Post  Office). 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

To  follow  the  approximate  course  of  this  path, 
cross  the  Lehigh  River  at  Bethlehem  on  Pa.  191, 
fork  right  on  L.  R.  187 , follow  this  road  for  about 
1 1/2  miles,  and  then  fork  left  on  L.  R.  39013.  Fol- 
low it  to  a junction  with  Pa.  29  at  Emmaus, 
and  follow  29  south  to  Shimerville.  Turn  right 
(west)  on  L.  R.  39017  beside  Indian  Creek.  Fol- 
low 39017  into  Berks  County,  where  the  road 
number  changes  to  L.  li.  06014,  and  continue  on 
it  to  Huff  Church.  There  turn  right  onto 
L.  R.  06140,  and  in  a lew  yards  turn  left  on 
L.  R.  06157.  Follow  this  southwest  to  Landis 
Store,  and  continue  thence  on  L.  R.  06094  to  its 
junction  with  Pa.  73  at  Pleasantville.  From 
Pleasantville  follow  73  to  Oley  and  L.  R.  197  to 
Reading. 

1 An  extension  of  the  South  Mountain  northeast  of 
Reading. 

1 Memorials  of  the  Moravian  Church,  William  C.  Reichel, 
ed.  (Philadelphia,  1870)  , I,  75-76. 

3 Notes  and  Queries,  William  Henry  Egle,  ed.,  Ill  (1896), 


OLEY  PATH 


82.  Oswayo  Path 

From  Genesee  to  Shingtehouse 

According  to  W.  W.  Thompson,1  an  Indian 
path  ran  from  Genesee,  Pa.,  up  Rose  Lake  Run 
to  Rose  Lake,  and  down  Oswayo  Creek  past  the 
towns  of  Oswayo,  Coneville,  and  Millport  to 
Shinglehouse.  At  Shinglehouse  it  joined  the  For- 
bidden Path,  following  it  through  Ceres,  Port- 
ville,  Ichsua  (Olean)  , and  other  Seneca  towns 
on  the  upper  Allegheny. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  Genesee,  take  Pa.  244  to  Rose  Lake  and 
on  down  Oswayo  Creek  to  Coneville.  Turn  right 
on  Pa.  44  and  follow  it  through  Millport  and 
Shinglehouse  to  Ceres.  There  take  N.  Y.  17  to 
Portville,  Olean,  and  Salamanca. 


1 "Legend  of  White  Lily  (Rose)  Lake,”  Historical 
Sketches  of  Potter  County,  Pennsylvania  (Coudersport, 
1927). 


OSWAYO  PATH 


IN  MAX  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  S3 


I Ti 


The  Painted  Line 

The  Valley  o/  Millstone  Creek 

"The  Painted  Line”  was  formerly  a popular 
name  for  a section  of  the  Towanda  Path  ap- 
proaching Powell  from  the  south.  When  white 
settlers  arrived  in  this  area,  there  were  still  many 
vestiges  of  Indian  artistry:  trees  stripped  of  bands 
of  bark,  the  inner  surface  painted  with  emblems 
done  in  charcoal  and  redstone. 

The  late  Dr.  T.  Kenneth  Wood  writes: 
Living  on  Millstone  Run,  I found  a 
man  named  Lester  Camp  who  told  me 
that  he  was  of  the  fourth  generation  liv- 
ing there.  That  his  great-grandfather 
had  married  an  Indian  woman  and  that 
all  of  the  Camps  were  as  swarthy  as  he. 

lie  had  heard  his  grandfather  call  the 
line  of  the  Genesee  Road  through  Mill- 
stone Run  Valley  and  Northrup  Hol- 
low, the  "Old  Painted  Line”  and  ex- 
plained that  when  great  grandfather 
Camp  first  came,  he  found  the  path 
marked  by  a succession  of  painted  trees, 
hither  these  trees  were  marked  by  the 
Indians  to  indicate  the  path,  or  which 
is  more  likely,  they  had  exercised  their 
skill  with  colors  in  depicting  the  details 
ol  their  victories  in  hunting  and  war.  . . . 

I'he  Tioga  Point  Museum  at  Athens, 

Pa.,  has  many  specimens  of  this  tree- 
painting, showing  symbols  of  various 
kinds,  grotesque  faces  and  figures.1 

' Xnw  nnil  Thru.  V (1934-3.5),  141-42. 


83.  Paxtons;  Path 

o 

From  Washington  Boro  to  Sunbury 

I he  Paxtang  Path  ran  north  from  Indian  set- 
tlements at  Paxtang  (where  the  Allcghem  Path 
crossed  the  Susquehanna)  up  the  east  bank  of 
the  river  to  Shamokin  (Sunbury)  . It  ran  south 
Irom  Paxtang  to  Indian  settlements  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  Columbia  and  Washington  Boro. 

Iaking  the  full  length  of  the  path  from  south 
to  north,  it  began  at  Conestoga  and  other  Sus- 
quehannock  settlements  in  the  vicinitv,  which  lay 
at  the  western  terminus  of  the  Great  Minquas 


Path  from  Philadelphia.  It  ran  through  Wash- 
ington Boro  and  Columbia,  over  Chickies  Ridge, 
and  then  b\  Marietta,  Bainbridge,  Falmouth, 
Middletown,  Highspire,  and  Steelton  to  Paxtang. 

From  Paxtang  it  continued  north  along  the 
river,  through  the  narrows  made  by  the  Blue 
Mountain  and  the  Second  Mountain,  to  Dau- 
phin. There  it  left  the  river  (which  here  sweeps 
in  a wide  arc  to  the  west)  and  went  straight  up 
over  Peters  Mountain,  returning  to  the  river  at 
Armstrong’s  (Halifax).  Thence  it  passed  through 
the  Berry  Mountain  Narrows  to  Millersburg  and 
McKee’s  (Dalmatia)  . Keeping  between  the  river 


PAXTANG  PATH 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  83-84 


1 23 


and  Hooflander  Mountain,  it  passed  through 
Herndon  to  the  crossing  of  Mahanoy  Creek.  Near 
the  crossing  it  merged  with  the  Tulpehocken 
Path  and  continued  with  it  to  Sunbury.  North 
of  Herndon  the  merged  paths  passed  through  the 
narrows  made  by  the  Little  Mahanoy  Mountain 
and  then,  at  a point  about  a mile  south  of  Fishers 
Ferry,  they  swung  away  from  the  river  and  ran 
for  a distance  of  eight  or  nine  miles  over  a nest 
of  mountains,  keeping  parallel  with  the  river  but 
about  two  miles  back  from  it.  After  a sharp  de- 
scent of  Shamokin  Mountain  to  a ford  across 
Shamokin  Creek,  they  reached  the  Indian  town 
of  Shamokin  (Sunbury)  at  the  Forks  of  the  Sus- 
quehanna. 

For  a vivid  account  of  this  path  and  the  diffi- 
culties encountered  on  it  in  winter,  see  Bishop 
J.  C.  F.  Cammerhof's  “Narrative  of  a Journey 
to  Shamokin,  Penna.,  in  the  Winter  of  1748.”1 
Nicholas  Scull’s  map  of  Pennsylvania,  1759,  shows 
very  clearly  the  Indian  path  from  Harris’s  Ferry 
to  Fort  Augusta  (Sunbury)  . 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

At  Washington  Boro,  take  Pa.  441  and  follow 
it  up  the  Susquehanna  through  Columbia  and 
over  Chickies  Riclge,  where  a short  detour  to  the 
left  brings  one  out  to  the  edge  of  Chickies  Rock 
and  one  of  the  finest  views  to  be  had  of  the 
Susquehanna.  Continue  on  441  through  Mari- 
etta, Bainbridge,  and  Falmouth  to  Middletown. 
From  there  take  U.  S.  230  (the  Lancaster  Pike) 
to  Harrisburg.  At  Harrisburg  pick  up  U.  S.  322 
and  follow  it  to  Dauphin.  There  take  Pa.  223 
over  Peters  Mountain.  At  the  summit,  another 


great  view  awaits  one.  Before  reaching  Halilax, 
223  merges  into  Pa.  147,  which  the  motorist  will 
then  follow  to  Sunbury.  No  road  traces  the  old 
Indian  path  across  the  hills  east  of  Fishers  Ferry, 
but  147  takes  a course  that  is  never  very  far  off 
the  path,  and  certainly  gives  a fair  impression 
of  the  terrain. 

1 Translated  by  John  W.  Jordan,  The  Pennsylvania 
Magazine  of  History  and  Biography , XXIX  (1905)  , 160-79. 

84.  Peach  Bottom  Path 

From  Hayesville  to  Peach  Bottom 

The  Peach  Bottom  Path  was  an  offshoot  of  the 
Nanticoke  Path.  It  ran  west  from  Hayesville  in 
Chester  County  to  Peach  Bottom  on  the  Susque- 
hanna at  the  southwest  corner  of  Lancaster 
County. 

The  course  of  this  path,  as  described  by  the 
late  Harry  Wilson,  was  from  Hayesville  (on  Pa. 
10,  two  and  a half  miles  north  of  Oxford) 
through  Tweedale,  across  Octoraro  Creek  at  Pine 
Grove,  through  Tayloria,  Oak  Hill,  Little  Brit- 
ain, Oakryn,  and  Wakefield  to  Puddle  Duck 
Creek  and  Peach  Bottom  on  the  Susquehanna 
at  the  mouth  of  Peters  Creek. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  Hayesville  take  L.  R.  13024  west  to  the 
bridge  across  Octoraro  Creek  at  Pine  Grove. 
From  there  continue  west  on  L.  R.  36018  for 
about  1 1/2  miles  to  Tayloria.  Turn  left  on  L.  R. 
36019  and  follow  it  for  a little  over  a mile  to 
Oak  Hill.  There  turn  right  on  Pa.  272  for  about 
5 miles  to  Wakefield.  Continue  from  there  on 
L.  R.  36083  and  36010  to  Peach  Bottom. 


PEACH  BOTTOM  PATH 


1 24 


IXD1AX  PATHS  OP  PEX  XSY  LVAX 1 A : Xo.  85 


85.  Pechoquealin  Path 

From  Shawnee  to  Wilkes-Barre 


The  Pechoquealin  Path  ran  from  Shawnee  on 
Delaware  (where  it  made  connections  with  paths 
from  Philadelphia,  Bethlehem,  and  the  Mini- 
sinks) through  Stroudsburg  and  over  the  Pocono 
Mountains  to  Wyoming  (Wilkes-Barre)  . 

Leaving  the  Minsi  Path  (from  Minisink  Island 
and  Esopus)  at  North  Water  Gap,  the  path  from 
Pechoquealin  ran  through  East  Stroudsburg  on 
Brodhead  Greek  and  Stroudsburg  on  Pocono 
Greek.  It  followed  a ridge  overlooking  the  latter 
creek  to  Bartonsville,  where  it  was  joined  by 
Sullivan’s  Roatl  fq. v.)  . 

At  Bartonsville  it  veered  a little  west  of  north, 
by  a route  now  taken  by  U.  S.  611,  and  ran  on  to 
Tannersvi lie.  Thence  it  took  a northwest  course 
past  the  village  of  Crescent  Lake,  round  the 
southern  shoulder  of  Bear  Mountain,  to  Little 
Summit  and  Pocono  Pines.  It  skirted  the  south- 
ern end  of  Lake  Naomi,  and  crossed  Tobyhanna 
Creek  at  what  is  now  an  extension  of  Pocono 
Lake.  Passing  through  what  was  once  known  as 
the  Great  Swamp,  it  skirted  the  southern  slope 
of  Locust  Ridge  (where  once  was  an  Indian  vil- 
lage) 1 and  forded  the  Lehigh  River.  Keeping 
to  a gentle  ridge  between  Choke  Creek  and  Ken- 
dall Creek,  it  passed  through  the  densely  wooded 


Shades  ol  Death  and  crossed  what  is  still  called 
Shades  Creek  at  Pocono  Spring. 

\t  Pocono  Spring  the  path  swung  a trifle  south 
of  west  for  about  three  and  a half  miles— Pa.  11 5 
joining  it  within  three-quarters  of  a mile  of  the 
spring— to  the  crossing  of  Bear  Creek.  1 hence 
it  ran  northwest  by  the  route  still  followed  by 
Pa.  115.  From  Ten  Mile  Run  it  crossed  Wyom- 
ing Mountain  and  Wilkesbarre  Mountain  to 
Georgetown  and  Wyoming  (Wilkes-Barre)  . 

A traveler  who  wished  to  save  himself  the  hard 
pull  over  Wilkesbarre  Mountain  might  take 
the  “Lower  Road,"  which  skirted  the  base  of  the 
mountain  and  turned  north  in  two  or  three  miles 
to  follow  Solomon  Greek  through  Solomon  s 
Gap.  General  Sullivan,  on  the  other  hand,  took 
the  Upper  Road  as  being  safer  for  the  army. 

Oscar  Jewell  Harvey  in  his  History  of  Wilkes- 
Barre  says  that  after  the  Battle  of  Wyoming  on 
July  3,  1778,  “By  far  the  largest  number  of  fugi- 
tives left  Wyoming  by  way  of  the  ‘Lower  Road 
—which  passed  up  through  Solomon’s  Gap,  then 
ran  in  a north-easterly  direction  along  the  eastern 
base  of  Wilkes-Barre  Mountain  for  about  two 
miles,  and  then  took  a course  for  the  most  part 
south-easterly.’’2 


INDIAN  PATHS  OP  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  85-86 


1 25 


FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  Shawnee  (about  5 miles  east  of  East 
Stroudsburg)  , L.  R.  45061  will  take  you  west  to 
U.  S.  611.  Follow  611  through  Stroudsburg  to 
Rartonsville  and  Tannersville. 

From  Tannersville  take  L.  R.  45024  left,  and 
follow  it  northwest  for  about  9 miles  to  Pocono 
Pines.  There  turn  left  (west)  on  Pa.  940.  Since 
the  path  can  be  followed  only  a little  farther  by 
modern  road,  it  will  be  well  to  continue  on  940 
to  its  junction  with  Pa.  115  and  follow  the  latter 
to  Wilkes-Barre.  But  if  one  wishes  to  follow'  the 
path  as  closely  as  possible,  leave  Pa.  940  where 
it  changes  its  course  to  southwest  (li/2  miles 
west  of  Pocono  Lake)  and  take  L.  R.  45039 
northwest  about  a mile  to  Locust  Ridge.  Beyond 
the  Ridge  this  road  soon  leaves  Sullivan’s.  The 
best  plan  is  to  take  the  first  left  turn  after  Locust 
Ridge  and  follow  a township  road  to  Stoddarts- 
ville.  There  turn  right  on  Pa.  115  (the  “New 
Road”  to  Wyoming)  and  stay  with  it  past  Shades 
Creek  (where  it  is  again  on  Sullivan’s  Road)  , 
Bear  Creek,  Wyoming  Mountain,  and  Wilkes- 
barre  Mountain  to  Wilkes-Barre. 

If  you  are  in  a hurry,  continue  on  U.  S.  611 
from  Tannersville  to  Swiftwater.  There  take  Pa. 
940  to  Blakeslee  Corners,  and  from  that  point 
follow  Pa.  115  (the  “New  Road”)  to  Wilkes- 
Jiarre. 


1 See  "Journal  of  Rev.  William  Rogers,  D.D..  Chaplain 
of  Gen.  Hand’s  Bridgade  in  the  Sullivan  Expedition.” 
June  21,  1779,  Pennsylvania  Archives,  Second  Series,  XV, 
258. 

2 (Wilkes-Barre,  1909),  IT,  1054. 


86.  Peholand’s  Path 

The  name  Peholand’s  Path  was  sometimes 
given  to  a section  of  the  Catawba  Path  approach- 
ing Peholand’s  Camp  or  Town,  which  was  situ- 
ated on  the  west  side  of  Two  Lick  Creek  oppo- 
site the  present  Homer  City  in  Indiana  County. 
The  name  was  given  also  to  the  Goschgoschink 
Path,  the  Ligonier  Path  (from  Kittanning) , or 
any  other  path  headed  for  Peholand’s.  See  the 
History  of  Indiana  County,  Pennsylvania,  1745- 
1880  (Newark,  Ohio,  1880),  page  250.  Early 
Westmoreland  County  warrants  contain  many 
references  to  Peholand’s  Path:  e.g.,  C 21,  to 
Moses  Cummins,  July  23,  1773:  “.  . . on  the 
North  West  side  of  a path,  leading  from  the 
two  Licks  to  Pecholand’s  Camp.” 

Richard  Bard,  captured  by  Delawares  in  1758, 
was  taken  west  as  a prisoner  to  Peholand’s 
whence  he  made  his  escape.  See  “Narrative  of 
the  Captivity  of  Richard  Bard,”  Kittochtinny 
Magazine,  I,  6-23. 


IXDIAN  PATHS  Ol  PEXXSYI.  TAXI  A:  Xo.  S7 


I _'f, 


PENNS  CREEK  PATH 


87.  Perms  Creek  Path 


State  Village,  Wood  ward,  Aaronsburg,  Millheim, 
and  Penn  Hall  to  Spring  Mills.  Thence  it  crossed 
the  plains,  intersecting  on  its  way  Logan’s  Path 
(coming  in  from  Tishimingo  on  the  West  Branch) 
and  the  path  from  Bald  Eagle’s  Nest  (Milesburg) 
to  Kishacoquillas  (Lewistown).  From  the  vicinity 
of  Linden  Hall  its  exact  course  has  not  been  de- 
termined, but  it  probably  ran  by  way  of  Boals- 
burg,  Shingletown,  Pine  Grove  Mills,  Rock- 
spring, Baileyvillc,  Gravsville,  and  down  the 
valley  ol  Spruce  Greek  through  Franklinville  to 
the  Little  Juniata  River.  Grossing  the  Little 
Juniata,  it  ran  to  Water  Street  and  there  met 
the  Frankstown  Path,  which  it  followed  to 
Frankstown. 


From  Sunbury  to  Frankstoiun 

The  Penns  Creek  Path,  known  among  the 
Iroquois  as  the  Karondinhah  Path,  was  com- 
monly described  on  eighteenth-century  surveys 
as  a "warriors  path.”  It  was  a continuation  of 
the  Great  Warriors  Path  from  the  Iroquois  coun- 
try, which  descended  the  North  Branch  of  the 
Susquehanna  from  Tioga  (Athens)  to  Shamokin 
(Sunbury)  at  the  Forks.  From  the  Forks  of  the 
Susquehanna  this  great  Indian  highway  ran 
southwest  to  the  heads  of  Penns  Creek  and  so  on 
to  Frankstown,  whence  branches  led  west  to  the 
Forks  of  the  Ohio  and  south  to  the  Potomac 
River  at  Will's  Creek  (Cumberland,  Md.)  . 

I he  Penns  Creek  Path  began  on  the  riverbank 
at  what  is  now  Blue  Hill  Station,  opposite  the 
Indian  town  of  Shamokin.  It  climbed  the  Blue 
Hill,  ran  along  the  summit  ridge  (its  course  now 
providing  the  dividing  line  between  Union  and 
Snyder  counties)  , and  descended  in  a few  miles 
to  Penns  Creek  in  the  vicinity  of  New  Berlin.  \ 
mile  and  a half  beyond  New  Berlin,  it  veered 
north  to  run  parallel  with  the  creek  but  a little 
distance  back  from  it.  It  did  not  meet  the  creek 
again  until  the  fording  at  Spring  Mills. 

I o follow  this  latter  part  of  the  path  more 
closely:  from  New  Berlin  it  passed  through 

W hite  Springs,  Swengel,  Hartlcton,  Laurelton 


Charles  Fisher  Snyder  of  Sunbury  writes: 
“This  trail  was  the  route  used  bv  Kechkinny- 
perlin  and  the  party  of  Western  Delawares  who 
struck  the  LeRoy  settlement  on  Switzer  Run  at 
the  outset  of  the  Penn's  Creek  Massacre,  and  also 
the  route  west  described  by  the  captives  until  the 
party  separated,  somewhere  in  Penn’s  Valley, 
part  going  to  the  Ohio,  bv  Frankstown,  the  other 
part  striking  the  Shamokin  Path  probably  along 
the  Bald  Eagle.”1 

FOR  THE  MOTORISE 

A township  road  from  Blue  Hill  Station  on  the 
river  bank  opposite  Sunburv  will  take  sou  up  the 
Blue  Hill  and  along  the  ridge  to  Pa.  504.  Follow 
30}  to  New  Berlin  in  the  Penns  Creek  Valley. 
An  alternate  route  to  New  Berlin  is  from  the 
mouth  of  Penns  Creek  at  Selinsgrove  by  304. 
From  New  Berlin,  take  304  for  about  4 miles 
to  its  junction  with  L.  R.  5 9005.  Turn  left  on 
59005  to  Swengel  and  bear  right  to  meet  Pn.  4 5 
at  Hartlcton  (ai/2  miles  west  of  Mifflinburg). 

Pn.  45  is  the  motorist's  key  to  this  path.  From 
Hartlcton  take  it  west  through  Laurelton  State 
Village,  Woodward,  Aaronsburg,  Millheim,  and 
Penn  Hall  to  Boalsburg,  Seven  Stars,  Spruce 
Creek,  and  Water  Street.  Turn  right  on  U.  S.  22 
for  Frankstown. 

1 Northumberland  County  Historical  Society,  Proceed- 
inf’s.  XI Y (1914)  . 48. 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  88 


127 


88.  Perkiomen  Path 

From  Philadelphia  to  Reading 


The  Perkiomen  Path  (named  for  Perkiomen 
Creek,  which  it  forded  at  Collegeville)  was  iden- 
tical with  Ridge  Avenue  from  Franklin  Square 
on  Race  Street  in  Philadelphia  to  the  Falls  of 
the  Schuylkill,  the  Wissahickon,  Roxboro,  and 
Manatawna.  Beyond  the  city  limits  the  path 
followed  the  Ridge  Pike  through  Barren  Hill 
and  across  Plymouth  Creek  at  what  is  known  as 
Ridge  Road  to  Norristown.  From  Norristown 
it  ran  through  Jeffersonville  to  ford  Perkiomen 
Creek  near  the  present  Perkiomen  Bridge  at 
Collegeville.  It  passed  through  Trappe,  Lim- 
erick, and  Sanatoga  to  the  Delaware  Indian  town 
of  Manatawny  (Pottsgrove  and  later  Pottstown) 


about  three  miles  to  Amityville.  At  Amityville. 
it  turned  west  and  ran  through  Weavertown, 
Friends  Meeting  House,  Stonersville,  Esterly,  and 
Mount  Penn  to  enter  Reading  by  way  of  Perkio- 
men Avenue. 

From  Reading  a continuation  of  the  path 
crossed  the  Schuylkill  and  proceeded  through 
West  Reading,  Wyomissing,  West  Lawn,  Sinking 
Spring,  Wernersville,  Robesonia,  and  Weiser’s 
(Womelsdorf)  to  join  the  Allegheny  Path  (which 
had  come  down  off  the  South  Mountain  through 
die  Klnft)  and  went  on  with  it  to  Paxtang  (Har- 
risburg) and  the  Forks  of  the  Ohio. 


■ To  Shomokin 


To  Nonlicoke 
To  Catawissa 


To  Lechawekink  (Easton) 


0 /, 


T-WEISERS 

, . _Robesonio 

Kluf,  O 


N 


\ ?•  • o.  . • ? ’ 0 ^ \ Xy 


jp'  Sanotoga 

Limerick 
- O t 

•.Trappe 


To  Chesapeake  Bay  V 


PERKIOMEN  PATH 

at  the  mouth  of  Mantawny  Creek.  For  some 
years  this  was  an  important  station  for  a prin- 
cipal body  of  Delaware  Indians  on  their  migra- 
tion to  the  Susquehanna  and  Ohio.  Governor 
John  Evans  visited  Manatawny  in  1707.  The 
Indians  “continued  to  gather  in  this  vicinity  as 
late  as  1 730.”1 


’o  j Collegeville 


I 2 
=t 


• Jeffersonville 
O 

Norristown 


O m Barren  Hill 
Ridge  Road  o 

- — o Manatawna 


FALLS  OF  THE  SCHUYLKILL 


John  Penn  in  1788  found  the  country  through 
which  the  road  passed  between  Trappe  and 
Pottstown  “beautiful,  a little  heightened  in  some 
places  by  the  sublime.  It  is,  indeed,  perfect,  espe- 
cially as  you  approach  the  Schuylkill  and  about 
Pottsgrove.  . . ,’’2 

From  Manatawny  the  Perkiomen  Path  fol- 
lowed the  river  to  Molatton  (Douglassville) , 
there  turning  north  to  run  along  a ridge  lor 


FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

This  is  a comparatively  easy  path  to  follow. 
From  Philadelphia  take  Ridge  Avenue  and  the 
Ridge  Pike  to  Barren  Hill  and  through  Norris- 
town to  its  junction  with  U.  S.  122  in  the  western 
outskirts  of  that  city.  Then  follow  122  through 
Collegeville,  Trappe,  Limerick,  Sanatoga,  and 
Pottstown  to  Douglassville. 


INDIAN  PATHS  OP  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  SS-S9 


128 


At  Douglassville  take  Pa.  662  north  to  Amity- 
vi lie.  There  turn  left  for  Stonersville.  At  Stoners- 
ville  turn  left  on  Pa.  562  and  follow  it  to  its 
junction  with  l . S'.  722  at  St.  Lawrence.  Then 
follow  722  to  Reading  and  Harrisburg. 

1 Commonwealth  of  Pennsylvania.  Internal  Affairs 
Monthly  Bulletin.  WII,  No.  5 (April,  1954),  8. 

’ John  Penn's  Journal  of  a Visit  to  Reading,  Harris 
burg,  C arlisle,  and  Lancaster  in  1788,”  Pennsylvania  Maga- 
zine of  History  anil  Biography . Ill  (1879).  ‘285. 


89.  Perkiomen- 
Lehirh  Path 

o 

From  Oaks  to  Vera  Cruz 

According  to  tradition,  a path  ran  north  from 
an  Indian  town  on  the  Schuylkill  at  the  mouth 
of  Perkiomen  Creek  (about  a mile  south  of  Oaks) 
to  the  Macungie  Jasper  Quarries  at  Vera  Cruz 
in  Lehigh  County.  It  is  said  to  have  run  up  the 
west  side  ol  Perkiomen  Creek,  past  Schwenks- 
villc  and  Perkiomenville,  and  to  have  crossed  the 
creek  at  the  forks  opposite  Green  Lane.  Trav- 
ersing the  hills  between  Northwest  Branch  Creek 
and  Macoby  Creek,  it  continued  north  through 
Kleinville,  Geryville,  and  Hosensack  to  Vera 
Cruz  and  the  great  jasper  quarries.  There  paths 
converged  from  all  directions.  The  Perkiomen- 
Lehigh  Path  continued  north  to  cross  the  Le- 
high River  in  present  Allentown.  Thence  it 
tan  through  Hokendaqua  to  Nescopeck  and 
Wyomi  ng. 

FOR  I HE  MOTORIST 

from  Oaks  take  /..  R.  -16063  west  for  about 
-1  2 niiles.  I urn  right  on  Pa.  29  and  follow  it 
through  Collcgeville,  Sc hwenksville,  and  Green 
Lane  to  Pennsburg.  There  turn  right  on  Pa.  663 
and  follow  it  for  about  2 miles  to  Geryville. 
Turn  left  on  L.  Ii.  0901-1.  which  at  the  Lehigh 


County  line  becomes  L.  R.  39001 , and  follow  it 
through  Hosensack  to  Vera  Cruz.  The  Indian 
jasper  quarries  are  a few  hundred  yards  west  of 
the  town. 


INDIAN  PATHS  OP  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  90 


129 


90.  Pigeon  Paths 

O 

Pigeon  hunting  was  one  of  the  Seneca  Indians’ 
seasonal  activities  in  northwestern  Pennsylvania. 
Favorite  nesting  grounds  of  the  passenger  pigeon 
( Ecto pistes  migratorius ) were  on  the  high  plateau 
at  the  headwaters  of  the  Clarion  River  and 
Tionesta  Creek,  where  the  counties  of  Warren, 
McKean,  Forest,  and  Elk  come  together  in  the 
vicinity  of  Sheffield,  Kane,  and  Pigeon. 

After  a flight  of  pigeons  had  darkened  the  sky 
over  Cornplanter’s  Town,  the  Indians  waited  a 
few  weeks  and  then  sent  scouts  up  into  the  hills 
to  bring  in  some  squabs,  by  means  of  which  the 
chiefs  might  determine  precisely  when  it  would 
be  best  for  their  people  to  go  to  their  mountain 
camps  for  the  hunt.  When  the  time  was  judged 
right,  the  Senecas  of  Cornplanter’s  Town  and 
other  nearby  towns  set  out  by  two  main  routes 
for  the  pigeon  plateau.  Some  journeyed  on  foot 
down  the  Allegheny  Valley  and  up  Kinzua  Creek 
to  what  is  now  Dunkle’s  Corner,  thence  making 
their  way  across  the  hills  to  Sheffield.  Others 
came  down  the  Allegheny  in  canoes  to  the  mouth 
of  Dutchman’s  Run  above  Warren,  and  then 
proceeded  on  foot  through  Clarendon  to  Shef- 
field, where  the  two  paths  joined.  A few  miles 
south  of  Sheffield,  the  joint  path  broke  up  into 
a number  of  minor  paths  by  means  of  which  the 
hunters  approached  the  particular  places— which 
varied  from  year  to  year— at  which  the  pigeons 
were  known  to  be  nesting. 

Indian  hunters  were  chiefly  interested  in  the 
squabs.  Sometimes  they  knocked  them  out  of 
the  nests  with  long  poles.  Sometimes  they  cut 
down  the  trees  laden  with  nests  and  gathered 
the  squabs  from  the  ground.  Some  hunters  pur- 
sued adult  pigeons  with  bows  and  arrows  or 
caught  them  in  nets,  but  as  a rule  Indians  were 
careful  not  to  destroy  the  breeding  stock. 

The  extermination  of  passenger  pigeons  came 
about  through  commercial  slaughter  by  white 
men.  A typical  instance  was  recorded  by  the 
Warren  Mail  in  1878.  On  March  7 of  that  year, 
a flight  of  pigeons  over  the  town  of  Warren  was 
reported.  By  April  30  it  was  estimated  that  over 
500,000  birds  had  been  taken.  On  June  1 1 it 
was  reported  that  over  700,000  had  been  shipped 


from  Sheffield  alone,  another  200,000  had  been 
shipped  from  Kane,  and  over  24,000  were  still 
awaiting  shipment. 

For  an  excellent  discussion  of  Indian  pigeon 
hunting  and  pigeon  paths,  see  “The  Last  Passen- 
ger Pigeon  Hunts  of  the  Cornplanter  Senecas,” 
by  William  N.  Fenton  and  Merle  H.  Deardorff.1 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

Since  the  building  of  the  Kinzua  Dam,  it  has 
been  impossible  to  follow  the  old  path  from 
Cornplanter’s  Town  through  Kinzua  to  the  pi- 
geon plateau.  The  motorist  is  advised  to  take 
U.  S.  6 southeast  out  of  Warren  and  follow  it  to 
Sheffield.  There  take  Pa.  948.  At  Barnes  turn 
right  (west)  on  Pa.  666  for  Lynch  (Blue  Jay)  , 
and  from  Lynch  continue  on  L.  R.  27015  to 
Frosts  (Pigeon  P.  O.)  . 

From  the  south,  one  may  approach  the  pigeon 
country  by  leaving  U.  S.  322  at  Brookville.  Fol- 
low Pa.  36  north  to  Sigel  and  beyond  it  for  3 or 
4 miles  to  meet  Pa.  899.  Follow  899  north  to  a 
junction  with  Pa.  68  about  a mile  southwest  of 
Marienville.  Continue  on  68  to  Pigeon  (Frosts) 
and  Kane. 

1 Journal  of  the  Washington  Academy  of  Sciences , 
XXXIII,  No.  10  (October,  1943)  , 289-315. 


/xnr.-ix  PATHS  Ol  PFXXSYIAAX/A:  Xo.  91 


;5i> 


91.  Pine  Creek  Path 

From  Jersey  Shore  to  Genesee 


From  Indian  settlements  at  Jersev  Shore,  the 
Pine  Creek  Path  ran  up  the  fiftv-miles-long  gorge 
of  Pine  Creek  to  \nsonia  (near  Wellsboro)  . 
Before  reaching  the  First  Fork  ( Little  Pine  Creek) 
at  Waterville,  it  crossed  the  stream  ;t  number  of 
times  in  order  to  avoid  mountain  shoulders.  But, 
after  passing  the  First  Fork,  it  remained  on  the 
east  bank.  Bevond  the  Second  Fork  (Babb  Creek) 
at  Blackwell,  it  ran  through  the  narrowest  part 
of  the  gorge  to  the  Third  Fork  (Marsh  Creek) 
at  Ansonia.  There  the  path  turned  west,  still 
following  the  bank  of  Pine  Creek,  past  Gaines 
and  Galeton  to  West  Pike. 

There  is  some  uncertainty  about  the  course 
it  took  north  of  West  Pike.  There  may  have  been 
several  ways  over  the  height  of  land  to  the 
Genesee  Valley.  There  is  good  evidence  that  one 
path,  probably  the  main  one,  ran  north  up  the 
\ a I lev  of  the  Genesee  Forks  for  about  three  miles, 
when  it  turned  northwest  up  Cushing  Hollow  as 
the  railroad  does.  Cushing  Hollow  provided  a 
better  thoroughfare  for  foot  travelers  than  the 
valley  of  California  Creek  with  its  snarl  of  laurel 
bushes.  Crossing  the  divide  to  the  headwaters 
of  the  Genesee  at  Ulysses  (Lewisville),  the  path 
ran  down  the  Genesee  Valley  to  the  town  of 
Genesee. 

For  warriors  coming  up  from  Maryland 
through  the  Bald  Eagle  Valley,  there  was  a short 
cut  to  avoid  going  round  by  Jersev  Shore.  Moses 
Van  Campen,  raptured  on  Bald  Eagle  Creek  in 
1782,  described  this  cut-off.  In  his  journal  he 
told  how  his  captors  “made  [their]  way  across 
the  hills,  and  came  down  to  Pine  Creek,  above 
first  forks,  which  they  followed  up  to  the  third 
forks,  and  took  the  most  northerly  branch  to 
the  head  of  it  and  thence  to  the  head  waters  of 
the  Genesee  river."1 

Van  Campon’s  parts  probably  left  the  Susque- 
hanna at  the  mouth  of  Chatham  Run  (up  which 
an  Indian  path  is  traditionally  said  to  have  gone) 
and  ascended  that  valley  to  Woolrich.  Thence 
they  may  have  gone  over  the  hills  by  a route 
the  Big  Spring  Road  later  took  and  have  come 
down  off  the  mountain  to  Pine  Creek  about  a 
mile  above  Waterville. 


The  path  was  still  in  use,  from  Jersey  Shore 
through  the  gorge  to  Ansonia,  in  nineteenth- 
century  logging  days.  The  late  Bill  Smith  of 
Wellsboro  told  the  present  writer  in  19-19  that 
in  the  spring  of  the  vear  loggers  used  to  raft 
clown  Pine  Creek  from  Ansonia  to  Jersev  Shore 
and  Williamsport,  and  that  they  used  to  walk 
back  by  a path  along  the  creek.  He  used  to  walk 
it  himself,  through  the  gorge  and  “on  the  bot- 
tom,” as  he  said.  In  time  of  high  water,  it  was 
sometimes  necessary  to  climb  a “draw”  in  order 
to  get  around  a flooded  spot,  coming  down  again 
through  the  next  draw.  In  passing  through  the 
gorge,  he  said,  the  path  kept  to  the  east  bank, 
as  the  railroad  does. 

The  Pine  Creek  Path  never  made  a successful 
wagon  road.  John  Peet  attempted  to  use  it  as 
such,  and  did  bring  a yoke  of  oxen  down  from 
Potter  County  to  Jersey  Shore  by  way  of  Pine 
Creek  in  July,  1811.  But  he  wrote  afterwards 
that  he  “crossed  Pine  Creek  eighty  times  going 
to  and  eighty  times  coming  from  mill  [at  Jersey 
Shore];  was  gone  eighteen  days;  broke  two  axle- 
trees  to  my  wagon,  upset  twice,  and  one  wheel 
came  off  in  crossing  the  creek. 

The  best  description  of  the  Pine  Creek  Indian 
Path  comes  from  Halliday  Jackson  who  in  1800, 
returning  from  Cornplanter  s I own,  wrote  down 
his  awed  impression  of  the  mountains,  seen  from 
below,  that  seemed  to  overhang  the  Pine  Creek 
Gorge.  Today  visitors  continue  to  be  stirred  at 
what  thev  see  from  above  as  they  ga/e  from  the 
thousand-foot-high  Harrison  Lookout  or  Colton 
Point  on  the  Grand  Canyon  of  Pennsylvania. 

. I passed  down  the  side  of  the  waters 
[wrote  Halliday  Jackson]  and  the  moun- 
tains were  on  the  right  hand  on  on  [Me] 
the  left  even  great  and  mighty  with- 
out inhabitants  neither  had  the  foot  of 
man  ever  trod  thereon,  for  their  ap- 
proach was  inaccessible  even  a habita- 
tion of  Owls,  and  dens  of  the  fierce 
Animals  of  the  wood,  where  the  Raven 
breeds  her  young,  and  the  Eagle  soars 
aloft  when  she  lifts  her  wings  on  high— 3 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  91 


GENESEE 


To  Tioga 


* 

To  Olean 


PINE  CREEK  PATH 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  Jersey  Shore  take  Pa.  14  to  Waterville  at 
the  First  Fork.  There  take  Pa.  414  up  Pine  Creek 
to  Blackwell  at  the  Second  Fork.  Since  no  motor 
road  runs  through  the  gorge  that  lies  ahead,  it 
is  necessary  to  make  a detour  to  reach  Ansonia. 
Continue  on  414,  which  runs  up  Babb  Creek 
(the  Second  Fork)  , for  about  2i/2  miles  to  Doane 
at  the  mouth  of  Stony  Fork,  and  there  turn  left 
on  a country  road  which  in  4 miles  runs  into 
L.  R.  58083.  Follow  this  alongside  the  Stony  Fork 
about  7 or  8 miles  to  Draper.  There  turn  left 
on  L.  R.  58013  and  follow  it  to  Thumpton. 

At  this  point  another  detour  is  called  for.  Turn 
left  on  Pa.  660  for  Harrison  Lookout  to  get  a 
magnificent  view  of  Pine  Creek  Gorge— better 
known  as  the  Grand  Canyon  of  Pennsylvania. 

From  Harrison  Lookout  return  by  Pa.  660  to 
Thumpton  and  go  on  beyond  it  in  a northeast 
direction  for  about  another  mile.  Then  turn 
left  and  descend  from  the  mountain  by  way  of 
Darling  Run.  At  Ansonia  you  are  back  on  the 
Pine  Creek  Path.  Turn  left  on  U.  S.  6. 

On  leaving  Ansonia,  the  motorist  is  advised  to 
make  a side  excursion  in  order  to  get  what  many 
think  to  be  the  best  view  obtainable  of  the 
thousand-foot-deep  gorge.  A little  west  of  An- 
sonia, turn  left  (south)  off  U.  S.  6 on  the  newly- 
graded  State  Forest  road  up  the  mountain  to 
Colton  Point. 


Woolrich  o\ 


GREAT  ISLAND 
(Lock  Haven) 


• *To* 

^ITo  K is  ha  coq  uillas 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  01-92 


1 32 


Return  to  U.  S'.  6 and  follow  it  west  through 
Gaines  and  Galeton  to  West  Pike.  At  West  Pike 
turn  north  on  /..  R.  5 2026 . At  Loucks  Mills  turn 
left  (still  on  52026)  for  Lewisville  (Ulysses  P.  O.) 
There  turn  left  on  Pa.  -19.  follow  it  for  half  a 
mile,  and  then  turn  right  on  L.  R.  52029  for  West 
Bingham  and  Genesee. 

1 Northumberland  County  Historical  Society,  Proceed- 
ings, XIV  (1944).  111. 

3 History  of  the  Counties  of  McKean,  F.lk,  Cameron  arid 
Potter,  Michael  \.  I.eeson.  ed.  (Chicago,  1890),  994. 

3"HalIiday  Jackson’s  Journal  to  the  Seneca  Indians, 
1788  1800,"  Anthonv  F.  C.  Wallace,  ed..  Pennsylvania  His- 
tory, XIX.  No.  3 (Julv.  1952).  340. 


92.  Pohopoco  Path 

From  Weissport  to  Shaumee  on  Delaware 

The  Pohopoco  Path  began  at  the  ford  on  the 
Lehigh  River  where  the  Moravians  built  their 
model  Indian  town  of  Gnadenhutten— a town 
that  straddled  the  stream,  occupying  both  sides, 
now  Weissport  and  Lehighton.  Thence  it  ran 
up  the  north  side  of  Pohopoco  Creek  past  the 
site  of  the  old  I.evett  School.  The  modern  road, 
in  this  vicinity,  follows  the  old  path  closely.1 
From  the  Levett  School  the  path  ran  through 
Krcsgeville  (a  mile  east  of  which  Fort  Norris 
was  built)  , Gilbert  (site  of  the  Moravian  Indian 
town  of  Wechquetank) , Brodheadsville  (where 
General  Sullivan’s  road  intersected  the  Pohopoco 
Path)  , Sandhill,  Snydersville,  and  Stroudsburg 


to  Pechoquealin  (Shawnee  on  Delaware) . There 
it  joined  the  Minsi  Path,  which  carried  it  on  to 
Minisink  Island  and  Esopus  (Kingston,  N.  Y.)  . 

During  the  French  and  Indian  War,  the 
Pohopoco  Path  became  an  important  military 
highway.  In  1756  it  was  described  as  "the  high 
Road  towards  the  Menisinks."2  Fort  Allen  at 
Weissport  was  built  to  guard  the  western  en- 
trance, and  Fort  Hamilton  at  Stroudsburg,  to 
guard  the  eastern.  These  forts  were  at  crossroads, 
commanding  Indian  paths  from  the  north:  the 
Xescopeck  Path  and  the  Minsi  Path  in  particular. 
Fort  Norris  in  the  middle  commanded  a path 
from  Wyoming  to  Smith  Gap  and  Bethlehem. 

Despite  its  importance  for  white  men,  this 
highway  was  still,  as  late  as  1785,  referred  to  in 
surveys  as  an  “Indian  Path.”3 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  Weissjjort  take  U.  S.  209  east  for  about 
1 1/2  miles.  Leave  it  before  it  crosses  Pohopoco 
Creek  (209  runs  up  the  valley  of  Bull  Run)  and 
go  east  on  country  roads  on  the  north  side  of 
the  creek  to  Kresgeville.  There  pick  up  209  again 
and  follow  it  through  Gilbert  and  Brodheadsville 
to  Stroudsburg.  From  there  L.  R.  166,  45011, 
and  45061  will  take  you  to  Shawnee  on  Delaware. 

'For  its  exact  course,  sec  Warrantee  Surveys  A 27-132 
and  D 10-51. 

3 Report  of  James  Young.  Commissary  General,  printed 
in  William  A.  Hunter,  Forts  of  the  Pennsylvania  Frontier , 
1753-1758  (Harrisburg,  1960),  228. 

* A 27-132,  1)  10-51. 


POHOPOCO  PATH 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  93 


133 


93.  Point  Pleasant  Path 

From  Schwenksville  to  Point  Pleasant 


There  is  a strong  tradition  in  the  Perkiomen 
Valley,  reported  by  Samuel  W.  Pennypacker,  3rd, 
of  Pennypackers  Mills,  Schwenksville,  that  an 
Indian  path  came  up  the  North  East  Branch  of 
Perkiomen  Creek  from  its  junction  with  the 
main  branch  at  Schwenksville  and  ran  east  to 
a ford  on  the  Delaware  River  at  Point  Pleasant. 
At  Point  Pleasant  a tradition  survives  of  an  In- 
dian path  running  west  from  the  ford  toward 
Schwenksville. 

Moving  east  from  the  Perkiomen  Valley  at 
Schwenksville,  Indian  travelers  are  said  to  have 
crossed  what  is  still  called  Indian  Creek,  and 
made  their  way  up  the  North  East  Branch  val- 
ley to  Sellersville.  From  there  they  are  said  to 
have  crossed  the  height  of  land  to  the  Delaware 
River  valley,  fording  the  river  at  what  was  later 
known  as  Parson’s  Ferry  (patented,  1740)  . This 
was  near  the  argillate  quarries  at  Point  Pleasant. 
Parson’s  Ferry  connected  with  an  early  New 
Jersey  road,  believed  to  have  been  based  on  an 
Indian  path  running  east  from  Byram  to  Ser- 


geantsville  and  Ringoes,  where  it  joined  the 
Lenni  Lenape  Path  (the  Old  York  Road)  . 

At  Point  Pleasant  one  is  told  of  a very  old 
road  which,  like  its  New  Jersey  counterpart,  is 
believed  to  have  been  based  on  an  Indian  path, 
running  west  from  Parson’s  Ferry  to  the  vicinity 
of  Perkasie  and  Sellersville.  A warrantee  survey 
of  a tract  at  Point  Pleasant  dated  17381  shows 
“a  Road  laid  out  and  confirmed  to  a Lands  on 
Delaware”  at  Enoch  Pearson’s  place.  According 
to  Patent  Book  A 9,  page  184,  Enoch  Pearson  was 
on  April  11,  1740,  licensed  to  operate  a ferry, 
“it  being  opposite  to  a ferry  already  established 
in  West  Jersey.” 

Mr.  W.  J.  Taylor  of  Plainfield,  N.  visited 
Point  Pleasant  to  inquire  into  the  evidence  for 
this  path.  His  letter  will  serve  to  show  how  evi- 
dence from  local  tradition  is  gathered,  sifted,  and 
used. 

...  I have  been  to  Point  Pleasant  and 
talked  over  the  alleged  Indian  ford  at 


IXD1AX  PATHS  OF  PEXXSYI.VAXIA : Xu.  93 


that  plate  with  several  of  the  older  in- 
habitants. 1 he  auctioneer  who  runs  the 
old  hotel,  the  man  who  had  originally 
told  me  about  the  lord,  discussed  it  at 
some  length.  Reduced  to  its  simplest 
terms  his  story  may  be  summed  up  thus: 
" I here  is  a strong  local  tradition  among 
the  older  residents  that  a ford  existed 
somewhere  neat,  probably  below,  the 
present  bridge  and  that  a trail  which 
crossed  from  Jersey  intersected  the 
north-south  trail  along  the  river  and 
then  continued  northwestward  over  a 
hill  toward  the  region  west  of  Tinicum 
and  other  places  inland  from  the  river.” 
1 fe  knew  of  no  documentary'  evidence. 

A Miss  Marshall,  a descendant  of  the 
Marshall  who  took  part  in  the  Walking 
Purc  hase,  was  ven  cooperative.  She  in- 
formed me  that  there  was  a colonial 
ferry  just  below  Pt.  Pleasant,  which  she 
had  heard  was  preceded  by  a ford;  that 
the  lord  could  have  been  used  bv  In- 
dians; and  that  two  of  the  very  early 
Colonial  roads  of  the  area  lead  from 
the  lord;  one  following  a creek  inland 
almost  clue  west  toward  Perkasie  and 
still  known  locallv  as  ‘‘The  Fern  Road” 
tor  as  much  as  twenty  miles  back  in  the 
country  and  the  other,  the  road  men- 
tioned by  the  auctioneer,  which  goes 
northwest  and  is  called  the  “Tory  Road” 
as  most  erf  the  settlers  along  it  were 
Tories. 

Examination  of  the  country  brines 
out  the  following:  At  Ringoes,  X.  J., 

on  the  York  Road,  an  old  road,  seem- 
ingly  partly  abandoned  and  rerouted, 


turns  westward  to  Headquarters  and 
thence  to  Sergeantsville  and  Byram, 
which  is  just  across  the  river  from  Pt. 
Pleasant.  It  seems  certain  that  this  is 
the  old  road  to  the  ferry  and  it  seems 
not  unlikely  that  it  originally  followed 
a fairly  important  Indian  trail  from 
Ringoes  to  a ford  at  Bvram— Pt.  Pleas- 
ant and  thence  toward  inland  Pennsyl- 
vania, but  so  far  I can  furnish  no  defi- 
nite proof  for  you. 

It  may  be  noteworthy  that  there  are 
important  Indian  sites  on  both  sides  of 
the  river  and  along  the  supposed  trails 
and  that  argillite  quarries  are  known 
to  have  existed  near  Byram.2 

I he  route  traced  on  the  accompanying  map 
is  conjectural.  . . . 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

The  Point  Pleasant  Path  cannot  be  closelv 
followed  by  motor  but  one  may  get  a fair  im- 
pression of  the  country  through  which  it  passed 
by  following  these  directions:  From  Collegeville 
take  Pa.  29  to  Schwenksville.  Turn  right  and 
follow  L.  R.  96026  and  96025  to  Harlcysville. 
There  take  Pa.  113  lest  Blooming  Glen  and  an- 
other .1  miles  lor  Deep  Run  Church.  Thence 
bear  right  on  L.  R.  09091  and  09031  for  Pipers- 
villc.  From  there  L.  R.  09060  and  09077  will 
take  you  to  Point  Pleasant. 

1 15  29-298. 

l etter  dated  Juh  9.  173').  filed  under  Point  Pleasant 
Path,  Pennsylvania  Historical  and  Museum  Commission. 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  94 


135 


94.  Portage  Paths 

o 


Travel  by  canoe  in  Pennsylvania  was  more 
difficult  than  in  Canada  and  New  England  for 
two  reasons:  (1)  Pennsylvania’s  principal  moun- 
tain ranges  were  not,  as  in  New  England,  pierced 
by  her  rivers.  The  Appalachians  here  interposed 
a barrier  that  could  be  surmounted  only  by  long 
portages.  (2)  The  canoe  birch,  which  provided 
the  lightest,  swiftest,  most  manageable  water 
craft  known  to  man,  did  not  grow  in  Pennsyl- 
vania. Dugouts  and  even  elm  bark  canoes  were 
clumsy  in  the  water  and  too  heavy  to  be  carried 


any  distance  overland. 

So  it  was  that  at  the  head  of  navigation,  Penn- 
sylvania Indians  left  their  canoes  in  the  bushes 
and  carried  their  goods  on  their  backs  over  the 
divide  to  the  head  of  navigation  on  the  other 
side,  where  they  built  themselves  fresh  canoes. 
That  is  why  the  name  Canoe  Place  is  so  fre- 
quently found  at  the  heads  of  streams  on  early 
maps  of  Pennsylvania. 

Among  the  most  notable  Pennsylvania  por- 
tages were  those  described  in  the  following  pages. 


A.  Allegheny  Portage:  Big  Portage  Path 

From  Emporium  to  Port  Allegany 


On  Reading  Howell’s  Map  of  Pennsylvania, 
1792,  the  twenty-three  mile  Allegheny  Portage 
is  clearly  shown.  The  head  of  navigation  on  the 
Sinnemahoning  was  at  Canoe  Place  (later  Ship- 
pen,  now  Emporium)  at  the  confluence  of  Por- 
tage Creek  and  the  Driftwood  Branch  of  the 
Sinnemahoning.  From  there  the  path  ran  up  the 
valley  of  Portage  Creek  through  Gardeau,  over 
the  “Big  Lookout  Divide”  at  Keating  Summit 
(elevation  1,880  feet)  , and  down  Little  Portage 
Creek  to  the  Canoe  Place  at  its  junction  with 
Combs  Creek.  The  name  Canoe  Place  became 
attached  to  the  whole  region,  including  the  set- 
tlement now  known  as  Port  Allegany  at  the 
junction  of  Portage  Creek  and  the  Allegheny 
River. 

Since  the  grades  up  and  down  over  this  portage 
ate  easy,  and  since  the  Appalachian  Divide  here 
is  comparatively  low  (as  compared,  for  instance, 
with  that  on  Negro  Mountain  in  Somerset 
County,  where  the  Turkeyfoot  Path  crosses  at  an 
elevation  of  .1,125  feet),  it  has  been  suggested  that 
this  may  have  been  the  route  taken  by  the  first 
Indians,  ten  or  fifteen  thousand  years  ago,  who 
prospected  a way  from  the  plains  across  the 
mountains  into  eastern  Pennsylvania.  Certainly 
the  route  was,  in  the  early  years  of  the  nine- 
teenth century,  much  used  by  settlers  moving 


west.  Benjamin  Burt,  who  came  to  this  region 
in  1810  and  settled  on  a farm  at  Burtville  (named 
for  him) , has  left  a vivid  picture  of  his  early 
experiences: 


136 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  94 


...  I soon  had  plenty  of  work,  as  the 
settlers  commenced  to  come  up  the  Sus- 
quehanna River  to  Shippen,  now  Em- 
porium, with  flat  boats,  and  pack  their 
goods  across  the  Portage  to  Canoe  Place, 
where  they  made  canoes  and  floated 
down  the  Ohio  River.  I had  a lot  of 
work  making  these  canoes  out  of  white 
pine  logs.1 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  Emporium  Junction,  take  Pn.  155  to 
Sizerville.  There  bear  left  on  a country  road  that 
follows  the  creek  and  railroad  through  Gardeau 
to  Keating  Summit.  At  the  Summit  take  Pa.  155 
again  and  follow  it  through  Liberty  and  Wrights 
to  Port  Allegany. 

B.  Allegheny  Portage: 
Little  Portage  Path 

From  Costello  to  Port  Arthur 

The  Little  Portage  Path  was  much  used  as  an 
alternative  to  the  Big  Portage  Path,  for  the  good 
reason  that,  though  steeper,  it  was  shorter.  It 
ran  from  Costello  at  the  mouth  of  Freeman  Run 
on  the  First  Fork  of  the  Sinnemahoning,  up 
along  the  west  side  of  Freeman  Run  past  Austin, 
to  Keating  Summit. 

“1  he  Little  Portage  was  precipitous  at  both 
ends,  writes  Mrs.  Marie  Kathern  Nuschke, 
formerly  of  Austin,  “but  the  entire  road  on  top 
of  the  mountain  was  on  reasonably  flat  land.  The 
only  big  bend  in  the  Trail  was  at  the  head  of 
Cove  Hollow,  later  known  as  Horn  Hollow.  The 
Trail  left  the  flat  on  land  later  owned  by  the 
Brownlees  and  ascended  the  mountain  on  the 
Freeman  Run  side  of  the  Valley.”2 

On  Keating  Summit  the  Little  Portage  Path 
joined  the  Big  Portage  Path,  and  together  they 
followed  Little  Portage  Creek  down  to  its  meet- 
ing with  the  Allegheny  River  at  Port  Allegany. 

“There  is  no  question,”  asserts  Mrs.  Nuschke, 
“but  what  the  Indians  knew  the  value  of  the 
Little  Portage  long  before  the  white  man  saw 
it.  The  Fork  of  the  Sinnamahoning  was  navi- 


gable for  a longer  distance  than  the  river  on 
the  other  side  of  the  mountains  froni  Sinna- 
mahoning to  Shippen  [Emporium].  The  Little 
Portage  was  not  less  than  five  miles  shorter.”3 

The  Li  tie  Portage  Path  was  popular  also  with 
settlers,  to  whom  Forest  House  on  Keating  Sum- 
mit was  long  a landmark.  The  son  of  E.  O. 
.Austin,  who  built  the  town  of  Austin,  informed 
Mrs.  Nuschke  that,  when  he  constructed  the  road 
from  Costello  to  Keating  Summit,  all  he  had 
to  do  beyond  the  first  mountain  was  to  widen 
the  old  “Little  Portage  Trail.” 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  the  village  of  Sinnemahoning  on  the 
West  Branch  of  the  Susquehanna,  take  Pa.  872 
through  Costello  to  Austin.  There  take  Pa.  607 
to  Keating  Summit  and  Pa.  155  to  Port  Allegany. 

‘Victor  L.  Beebe,  History  of  Potter  County,  Pennsyl- 
vania (Coudersport,  1934)  , 34-35. 

: "The  Little  Portage  Trail,"  Pennsylvania  History, 
XXXI,  No.  4 (Oct.,  1964)  , 402. 

‘Ibid. 


C.  Chautauqua  Portage 

From  Lake  Erie  to  Chautauqua  Lake 

The  Chautauqua  Portage,  a “short  hogback 
path”  nine  and  a quarter  miles  long,  ran  from 
Barcelona  Harbor  on  Lake  Erie  to  Mayville  on 
Chautauqua  Lake.  It  was  part  of  a well-known 
travel  route  between  the  St.  Lawrence  and  the 
Ohio  river  systems. 

The  portage  began  at  the  mouth  of  Chautau- 
qua Creek,  just  west  of  the  town  of  Barcelona. 
It  kept  to  the  high  ground  west  of  the  creek, 
running  south-southeast  past  Westfield,  then 
veering  east-southeast  to  cross  the  creek.  It  ran 
along  the  heights  above  Little  Chautauqua 
Creek,  but  soon  bent  south-southeast  again  to 
follow  Little  Inlet  to  Chautauqua  Lake  at  the 
eastern  end  of  Mayville. 

“De  Longueuil  used  this  portage  in  1739  at  the 
time  of  his  expedition  against  the  Chickasaws;  in 
1749  C^loron  de  Blainville  followed  the  same 
route  during  his  journey  to  the  Ohio  country. 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  94 


137 


The  engineer  de  Lery  surveyed  this  portage  in 
1754. 1,1 

In  1753,  when  France  began  the  military  oc- 
cupation of  the  Allegheny  Valley,  the  Chautau- 
qua Portage  was  rejected  in  favor  of  the  Presque 
Isle  Portage  because  the  latter  had  the  advantage 
of  a superior  harbor  on  Lake  Erie.  Next  year, 


however,  the  Chautauqua  Portage  was  brought 
back  into  use  and  continued  to  be  used  through- 
out the  campaign,  along  with  the  Presque  Isle 
Portage,  for  the  transportation  of  men  and  sup- 
plies. 

From  the  outlet  of  Chautauqua  Lake  at  what 
is  now  the  town  of  Celoron  (a  mile  northwest 
of  Jamestown,  N.  Y.) , canoes  had  free  passage 
down  the  Chadakoin  River  and  Conewango 
Creek  to  the  Belle  Riviere  (the  Allegheny  River) 
at  the  Indian  town  of  Conewango  (Warren,  Pa.). 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  Barcelona  on  N.  Y.  5,  take  N.  Y.  77  to 
Mayville.  For  the  first  3 or  4 miles  the  road  is 
a few  hundred  yards  east  of  the  portage  path. 
For  the  rest  of  the  way  it  is  a few  hundred  yards 
to  the  west. 

To  complete  the  journey  to  Warren,  take 
either  TV.  Y.  17  (which  runs  down  the  east  side  of 
the  lake)  or  77  J (which  runs  down  the  west) 
to  Jamestown.  From  Jamestown  take  TV.  Y.  60 
to  Frewsburg  and  from  there  take  U.  S.  62  down 
the  banks  of  Conewango  Creek  to  Warren. 

1 Papiers  Contrecoeur  et  Autres  Documents  Concernant 
le  Conflit  Anglo-Franfais  sur  I’Ohio  de  1745  d 1756,  Fer- 
nand Grenier,  ed.  (Quebec,  1952),  16,  n.  2-  (Translation 
by  present  writer.) 


D.  Cherry  Tree  Portage 

From  the  West  Branch  of  the  Susquehanna  to  Two  Lick  Creek 


The  Cherry  Tree  Portage,  ten  miles  in  length, 
ran  from  “the  Cherry  Tree  or  Canoe  Place”1  at 
the  headwaters  of  the  West  Branch  of  the  Sus- 
quehanna River  to  Diamondville  on  Two  Lick 
Creek.  From  this  latter  canoe  place  Indians 
paddled  down  Two  Lick  Creek  to  its  junction 
with  Blacklick  Creek,  down  Blacklick  to  the 
Conemaugh  River,  the  Kiskiminetas  River,  and 
finally  the  Allegheny  River  at  Freeport. 

About  two  miles  southwest  of  Cherry  Tree, 
the  portage  path  met  the  Kittanning  (Franks- 
town)  Path  and  followed  it  past  present  Cook- 
port  and  former  Shawnee  Cabins  (now  Shawnee 
Bottom)  to  Diamondville  (Mitchells  Mills  P.  O.). 

Of  the  origin  of  the  name  Cherry  Tree, 


R.  Dudley  Tonkin  notes  that  by  the  terms  of  the 
Fort  Stanwix  Treaty  of  1768  the  westward 
bounds  of  Pennsylvania  were  to  be  the  West 
Branch  of  the  Susquehanna  up  to  the  point 
where 

...  a canoe  would  strike  bottom  at  a 
canoeing  stage  of  water.  The  waters  of 
Cush  Cushion  Creek  entering  from  the 
west  had  widened  the  river  and  had 
thrown  up  a gravel  bar  across  it.  The 
canoe  paddled  up  river  struck  bottom 
on  this  gravel  bar.  From  this  point  a 
straight  line  was  later  surveyed  to  Kit- 
tanning. This  line  was  and  is  known  as 
the  Purchase  Line,  and  the  land  [south] 
of  it  came  under  the  terms  of  the  pur- 
chase. The  river  corner  of  this  purchase 
of  1768  was  established  at  a large  wild 


i .'58 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  94 


black  cherry  tree  near  the  mouth  of 
Cush  Cushion  Creek.2 

This  cherry  tree,  after  which  the  town  of 
Cherry  Tree  was  named,  was  washed  away  about 
1837.  Mr.  Tonkin,  in  a letter  of  March  6,  1959, 
has  this  to  say  about  it:  “My  father  came  to 

the  river  two  miles  below  in  1838.  He  told  me 
the  tree  had  been  washed  down  stream  about 
s/  mile.  John  King  a settler  in  1822  (13  yrs. 
of  age)  told  me  the  same  story.” 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  Cherry  Free  take  Pa.  580  for  about  2i/2 
miles  to  Uniontown.  There  turn  right  (west) 
on  /..  R.  631  for  Cookport.  At  Cookport  turn 
left  (southeast)  on  R.  32065.  Follow  it  for 
a little  over  1 1/}  miles,  and  then  turn  right  (west) 
on  L.  R.  32169.  In  about  3 miles  you  vvill  come 
to  Pa.  223,  which  will  take  you  on  south  in  about 


U/2  miles  to  Diamondville  (Mitchells  Mills). 

‘Warrantee  Survey  A 87-164. 

5 My  Partner,  the  River  (Pittsburgh,  1958),  115. 


E.  Co  ties  tom,  Portage 

o O 

From  Conestoga  Creek  to  French  Creek 
(Chester  County) 

The  Conestoga  Portage  was  a comparatively 
short  one  between  the  headwaters  of  Conestoga 
Creek,  which  flows  into  the  Susquehanna  at  Safe 
Harbor,  and  the  headwaters  of  French  Creek, 
which  flows  into  the  Schuylkill  at  Phoenixville. 
This  was  the  main  canoe  route  between  the  Sus- 
quehanna and  Delaware  rivers.  It  passed  close 
by  Conestoga  (Susquehannock)  Indian  settle- 
ments, from  which  the  creek  took  its  name. 


CHERRY  TREE  PORTAGE 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  94 


139 


F.  Conococheague 

Portage 


From  Conodoguinet  Creek 
to  Conococheague  Creek 

The  Conococheague  Portage,  about  eight  miles 
in  length,  ran  from  the  vicinity  of  Orrstown  on 
the  headwaters  of  Conodoguinet  Creek,  which 
flows  into  the  Susquehanna  at  Harrisburg,  to  a 
canoe  place  above  Chambersburg  on  the  head- 
waters of  Conococheague  Creek,  which  flows  into 
the  Potomac  at  Williamsport,  Md. 

William  B.  Marye  has  expressed  the  opinion 
that  the  canoe  place  on  the  Conodoguinet  was  at 
the  mouth  of  Rowe  Run  (formerly  Herron's 
Branch)  , while  the  canoe  place  on  the  Conoco- 
cheague was  at  Red  Bridge.  Between  them  lay 
“a  beautiful  stretch  of  gently  rolling  country,” 
suitable  for  what  a Maryland  map  of  1721  called 
“ye  Land  Carriage  of  8 Miles  to  ye  Susquehan- 
nah.”1 


FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  Orrstown  take  Pa.  433  south  to  meet 
U.  S.  11  and  continue  on  the  latter  to  the  cross- 
ing of  Conococheague  Creek  at  Red  Bridge,  2 
miles  north  of  Chambersburg. 

1“Patowmeck  Above  ye  Inhabitants,”  Maryland  His- 
torical Magazine,  XXXII  (1937)  , 293-95. 


G.  Great  Bend  Portage 

From  Lanesboro  to  Stockport 


The  Great  Bend  Portage  ran  from  the  Tus- 
carora  Town  at  the  mouth  of  Conawacta  Creek 
(in  the  Great  Bend  of  the  Susquehanna  at  what 
is  now  Lanesboro)  1 to  Stockport  on  the  Dela- 
ware River.  On  the  Adlum-Wallis  map  entitled 
“A  General  View  ...  of  Pennsylvania”  (1793- 
94),  it  is  labeled  “Portage  19ms”  and  shown 
as  running  between  “Harmony”  (Lanesboro) 
and  Stockport. 

Samuel  Harris’s  draft  of  the  Great  Bend  coun- 


try, made  in  1774,  shows  the  path  as  running  up 
the  north  bank  of  Conawacta  Creek.  Leaving  the 
creek,  it  ran  over  the  mountains  by  way  ot  Star- 
rucca  and  Shehawkin  Lake,  and  came  down  to 
the  Delaware  River  at  the  mouth  of  Stockport 
Creek.2 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

It  is  not  possible  to  follow  the  path  closely  all 
the  way,  but  an  approximation  of  its  course  may 


HO 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  94 


be  had  by  taking  U.  S.  II  from  Binghamton, 
N.  Y.,  to  Great  Bend,  Pa.,  and  from  there  follow- 
ing Pa.  171  to  Oakland  and  Lanesboro,  and  on 
up  Conawacta  Creek  for  about  -1  miles.  Just 
short  of  Comfort  Lake,  turn  left  for  Melrose. 
From  Melrose  to  Starrucca,  take  L.  R.  296.  At 
Starrucca  take  /..  R.  365  and  follow  it  past  She- 
hawkin  Lake.  About  -1  miles  beyond  the  lake, 
turn  sharp  right  (south)  on  L.  R.  63051.  Follow 


this  road  for  about  i/4  mile  and  then  turn  left 
(east)  on  a township  road  that  in  about  4 miles 
more  brings  you  down  Stockport  Creek  to  the 
town  of  Stockport. 

‘Warrantee  Survey  C 153-21. 

s Sec  'Journal  of  Samuel  Harris,”  T.  Kenneth  Wood, 
cd„  .Vote  and  Tlun.  IV  (1929-1932).  343.  Sec  also  Sketch 
of  the  Internal  Improvements  Already  Made  by  Pennsyl- 
vania (Philadelphia,  1818),  Map  2. 


JI.  Presque  Isle  Portage 

From  Lake  Erie  to  the  head  of  French  Creek 


I he  Presque  Isle  Portage  ran  from  Presque 
Isle  Bay  at  the  mouth  of  Mill  Creek  near  Sobie- 
ski  Street,  in  Erie,  to  Fort  Le  Boeuf  (Waterford) 
on  Le  Boeuf  Creek  at  the  head  of  canoe  naviga- 
tion for  French  Creek.1 

The  ground  it  crossed  was  flat  and  often  wet. 
In  consequence  its  course  varied  much  as  trav- 
elers kept  seeking  drier  ways  to  go.  In  1753  the 
French,  preparing  for  an  expedition  into  the 
Ohio  country,  built  a portage  road  from  Presque 
Isle  (Erie)  to  Fort  Le  Boeuf.  Thence  they  de- 
scended by  canoe  and  bateau  to  the  Allegheny 
River  (La  Belle  Riviere)  at  Venango  (Franklin). 

The  co'.i.e  of  the  Presque  Isle  Portage  has 
been  care!:.  . traced  by  Autumn  L.  Leonard  in 
the  Pennsylvania  Archaeologist.2 

Louis  Antoine  de  Bougainville  in  1757  gave 
a frank  opinion  of  its  military  serviceability: 

I he  portage  from  this  fort  [Presqu'  Isle] 
to  that  of  the  river  au  Boeuf  is  seven 
leagues.  During  the  winters  which  are 
mild,  rainy,  and  not  liable  to  have  snow, 
the  transportation  is  almost  impracti- 
cable: spring  and  autumn  are  much  the 
same;  summer  is  the  only  season  on 
which  one  can  count  for  sending  provi- 
sions and  other  necessaries  to  La  Belle 
River.  I speak  of  wagon  transportation; 
pack-horses  go  at  all  times.3 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

Follow  Parade  Street  in  Erie  to  Twenty-Eighth 
■Street,  there  enter  Old  French  Road  (Pa.  97).  and 


continue  on  97  to  Waterford.  Pa.  97  does  not 
follow  the  portage  road  exactly,  but  it  is  never 
far  from  it  and  gives  a good  view  of  the  terrain. 

1 For  a fuller  description  of  this  route,  see  under  Venan- 
go Path. 

3 "The  Presque  Isle  Portage  and  the  Venango  Trail," 
Pennsylvania  Archaeologist.  XV,  Xos.  1-4  (1945). 

3 H’isconsin  Historical  Collections,  XVIII  (1908)  , 181. 


PRESQUE  ISLE  PORTAGE 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  94-95 


141 


I.  Tioga  Portage 

Athens,  Pa. 

The  Tioga  Portage  was  only  200  yards  long. 
It  crossed  the  narrow  peninsula  separating  the 
Chemung  River  from  the  North  Branch  of  the 
Susquehanna  River  above  Tioga  Point  at  Athens, 

Pa. 

Samuel  Harris,  surveyor,  who  was  here  in 
April,  1774,  explained  the  use  the  Indians  made 
of  this  portage: 

28th  Moved  up  the  River  [from  Tioga 
Point]  about  Two  Mils  a Little  above 


the  Indian  Carring  Place  whear  they 
Hall  [haul]  thare  Canows  over  when 
thay  Cum  down  the  one  Branch  and  go 
up  the  other  in  order  to  Save  4 or  Five 
miles.1 

Dr.  T.  Kenneth  Wood,  who  edited  Harris’s 
journal  for  Now  and  Then,  adds  this  note  about 
the  exact  location:  “Miss  [Elsie]  Murray  of  the 
Tioga  Point  Museum  fixes  it  as  just  north  of 
and  paralleling  Tioga  Street,  Athens,  the  short 
street  leading  from  the  Chemung  bridge  to  Main 
Street.” 

1 “Journal  of  Samuel  Harris,”  April,  1774,  T.  Kenneth 
Wood,  ed.,  Now  and  Then,  IV  (1929-1932) , 337. 

95.  Punxsutawney  - 
Venango  Path 

From  Punxsutawney  to  Franklin 

The  route  of  the  Punxsutawney-Venango  Path 
has  not  been  precisely  determined,  but  there  is 
a strong  local  tradition  (to  which  an  excellent 
terrain  adds  confirmation)  that  it  left  Punxsu- 
tawney about  where  Pa.  36  does,  and  climbed 
at  once  on  to  a long  ridge.  A little  over  two 
miles  northwest  of  Punxsutawney,  the  path 
turned  left  to  Frostburg  and  continued  on  an- 
other good  ridge  for  three  and  a half  miles  to 
Grange. 

At  Grange  it  forked,  the  main  path  continuing 
on  the  ridge  past  Ringgold  and  descending  from 
the  hills  to  cross  Redbank  Creek  either  at  Haw- 
thorn (from  which  point  another  path  ran  al- 
most straight  north  through  Frogtown  to  join 
the  Venango-Chinklacamoose  Path  at  Clew's 
Riffle  on  the  Clarion  River) , or  at  Fish  Basket 
at  the  mouth  of  Town  Run  (Oak  Ridge)  . 

At  Fish  Basket  the  main  path  was  joined  by 
the  alternate  path  which  had  left  it  at  Grange. 
The  alternate  is  said  to  have  gone  by  way  of 
Zion  Church  to  meet  the  Venango-Frankstown 
Path  in  the  near  vicinity  of  McGregor. 

At  Fish  Basket  the  path  from  Frankstown  to 
Venango  came  in,  and  the  two  proceeded  as 
one  by  way  of  Piney,  Edenburg,  Kossuth,  and 


TIOGA  PORTAGE 


INDIAN  PATHS  OP  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  95-96 


Van  to  the  Indian  town  of  Venango  at  the 
junction  of  French  Creek  and  the  Allegheny 
River. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

Fake  Pa.  56  out  of  Punxsutawney  and  follow 
it  for  3 miles.  Then  turn  left  (west)  on  Pa.  536. 


Follow  it  along  the  ridge  through  Grange,  Ring- 
gold,  and  North  Freedom  to  Mayport  on  Red- 
bank  Creek.  At  Mayport  turn  left  on  Pa.  2S  for 
Oak  Ridge  (Fish  Basket)  at  the  mouth  of  Town 
Run. 

From  this  point  the  path  to  Van  is  difficult  to 
follow.  But  it  is  possible  to  see  the  kind  of  ter- 
rain it  crossed  if  one  goes  west  2 miles  farther  on 
Pa.  28  to  New  Bethlehem  and  there  takes  Pa.  839 
north  to  Reidsburg  and  Pa.  6S  to  Clarion. 
Clarion  is  off  the  trail,  but  if  you  take  U.  S.  322 
west  to  Shippenville  and  turn  left  on  Pa.  20S 
to  Elk  City,  you  will  be  back  on  the  trail  again. 
Continue  on  208  a short  distance  to  Knox,  and 
there  turn  right  to  Kossuth,  where  you  wTH 
pick  up  l . .S'.  322  again,  follow  322  west  through 
Van  to  Franklin. 


96.  Raystown  Path 

From  Harrisburg  to  Pittsburgh 


I he  Raystown  Path  was  the  southern  (as  the 
f ranks  town  Path  was  the  northern)  branch  of 
the  Allegheny  Path  from  Paxtang  (Harrisburg) 
and  its  vic  inity  to  the  Ohio  Allegheny  country. 

I he  course  of  the  Raystown  Path,  since  the 
time  when  the  first  records  were  made  of  it,  has 
undergone  constant  change.  It  is  therefore  diffi- 
cult to  present  a coherent  picture  of  it.  The  In- 
dians used  several  variants,  traders  made  such 
changes  as  were  called  for  to  ease  the  burden  on 
pack  horses,  and  General  Forbes  adapted  it  to 
the  needs  of  military  transport  through  enemy- 
held  tenitory  in  a wet  season.  Succeeding  road 
makers  have  continued  to  adapt  the  road  to  the 
needs  of  expanding  commerce  and  changing 
methods  of  transportation. 

from  the  lord  ot  the  Susquehanna  at  Paxtang, 
an  early  Indian  path  ran  to  Letort's  Spring  at 
what  is  now  Carlisle,  following  preltv  closely  the 
ionic  now  taken  by  U.  .S'.  //  from  west  of  Camp 
Hill  through  Hogestown.  From  Carlisle  the 
path  ran  southwest  by  Mount  Rock  to  Nhippens- 
burg.  I here  a choice  of  routes  presented  itself. 
One  branch  ran  almost  straight  west  by  way  of 
Orrstown  and  Upper  Strasburg  to  cross  the  Blue 


Mountain  into  Horse  Valley,  the  Kittatinny 
Mountain  into  Path  Valley  near  Fannettsburg, 
and  the  Tuscarora  Mountain  to  Burnt  Cabins 
on  Little  Aughwick  Creek.  The  other  branch 
avoided  this  heavy  climbing  by  taking  a course— 
longer  by  eighteen  or  twenty  miles— round  Par- 
nell’s Knob  at  the  south  end  of  North  Moun- 
tain and  through  a break  known  as  Cowan  Gap 
in  the  Tuscarora  Mountain. 

To  trace  it  more  exactly,  this  alternate  route 
through  Cowan  Gap  went  southwest  from  Ship- 
pensburg  through  Culbertson,  passing  about 
two  and  a half  miles  northwest  of  Chambersburg, 
to  St.  I hennas,  where  U.  S.  30  now  joins  it. 

I tuning  west,  the  path  passed  under  Parnell 
Knob  and  Jordans  Knob,  crossed  Conococheague 
Creek  about  where  the  town  of  Fort  Loudon 
stands  (a  mile  and  a half  northwest  of  the  orig- 
inal Fort  Loudoun)  , and  turned  up  into  Path 
Valley.  It  ran  north  to  Richmond  Furnace  and, 
veering  to  the  west,  began  to  climb  the  lower 
slopes  of  Tuscarora  Mountain.  It  passed  through 
Cowan  Gap,  thus  avoiding  a long,  steep  climb 
such  as  the  Lincoln  Highway,  U.  S.  30,  makes  on 
its  way  to  McConnellsburg.  Cowan  Gap  is  nearly 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  96 


143 


1,000  feet  lower  than  the  crest  of  the  Tuscarora 
Ridge  overlooking  it  from  the  south,  and  about 
800  feet  lower  than  the  ridge  where  U.  S.  30 
crosses  it. 

From  Cowan  Gap  the  Raystown  Path  ran 
down  the  South  Branch  of  Little  Aughwick 
Creek,  through  a narrow  valley  between  the 
Tuscarora  Mountain  and  Cove  Mountain.  Half 
a mile  east  of  Burnt  Cabins,  it  was  joined  by 
the  other  branch  coming  straight  west  from 
Shippensburg. 

The  reunited  Raystown  Path  ran  west  through 
Burnt  Cabins  (so  named  because  of  the  burning 
of  settlers’  cabins  by  Pennsylvania  authorities  in 
1750  in  an  attempt  to  keep  faith  with  the  In- 
dians, from  whom  these  lands  had  not  yet  been 
purchased)  and  came  to  Sugar  Cabins  (Fort 
Littleton)  . 

From  Fort  Littleton  the  traders’  path  (and 
probably  an  Indian  path  before  it)  ran  north- 
west as  straight  as  it  could  among  these  broken 
foothills  to  Sideling  Hill  Gap,  thus  avoiding  the 
sidehill  course  that  later  roads— except  the  Penn- 
sylvania Turnpike— have  taken.  Running  from 
Waterfall  to  New  Granada  through  the  gap 
which  Sideling  Hill  Creek  has  cut  in  the  moun- 
tain after  which  it  was  named,  the  traders’  path 
turned  southwest  past  Enid  to  the  vicinity  of 
Wells  Tannery.  Thence  it  ascended  to  the  Gap, 
almost  at  the  summit  of  Rays  Hill,  by  a long, 
dry  ridge  with  easy  grades,  more  suitable  for 
pack  horses  than  the  shorter  route  from  Fort 
Littleton  up  the  deep  valley  of  Wooden  Bridge 
Creek  to  traverse  the  long  side  slope  of  Sideling 
Hill. 

From  the  summit  of  Rays  Hill  (the  ridge  of 
which  merges  with  that  of  Sideling  Hill)  , the 
path  descended  through  Rays  Cove  to  the  Juni- 
ata. It  is  not  known  exactly  how  it  came  down. 
Charles  Hanna  in  The  Wilderness  Trail 1 says  it 
came  down  Tub  Mill  Run  to  the  crossing  of  the 
Juniata  that  General  Forbes  used  in  1758.  On 
the  other  hand,  Pownall’s  map  of  “The  New 
Laied  out  Road  . . . from  Shippensburg  to  a 
Branch  of  Yohiogani,”  1755, 2 shows  the  road 
coming  off  the  mountain  by  a route  somewhat  to 
the  west  of  Tub  Mill  Run  and  crossing  the 
Juniata,  not  at  the  eastern  bend  where  Forbes 
crossed  it,  but  a couple  of  miles  farther  west.  It 


O Chombersburg 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  96 


144 


is  not  unlikely  that  there  were  several  different 
ways  of  coming  down  off  the  mountain. 

Once  across  the  Juniata,  the  Raystown  Path 
followed  a ridge  for  several  miles  between  the 
two  sides  of  the  loop  made  by  the  river  here.  It 
left  the  ridge  to  follow  the  north  bank,  crossed 
Bloody  Run  at  Kverett,  and  passed  through  Ali- 
quippa  Gap  and  the  gap  in  Evitts  Mountain  to 
John  Wrav’s  (Ray’s)  trading  post,  on  the  north 
bank  of  the  Juniata  a trifle  west  of  the  mouth  of 
Dunning  Creek.  From  there  about  half  a mile 
took  it  to  the  crossing  of  the  Juniata,  and  an- 
other half  mile  along  the  south  bank  to  what 
was  to  become  Fort  Bedford. 

There  is  reason  to  believe  that  at  Bedford  the 
Indian  path  forked,  one  branch— part  of  the  War- 
riors Path  from  Wills  Creek  (Cumberland)  to 
Frankstown— keeping  on  the  north  and  east  side 
of  the  Juniata  between  river  and  hillside,  while 
the  other  kept  on  the  west  side  and  crossed  the 
Juniata  at  Wolfsburg. 

The  precise  route  by  which  the  path  ap- 
proached the  Allegheny  Mountain  is  not  certain. 
Several  different  roads  are  shown  on  warrantee 
surveys  of  the  area,  and  it  is  difficult  to  determine 
which  of  these  followed  the  original  Indian  path. 
Some  years  ago  John  Kennedy  Lacock  and  his 
assistant,  William  J.  Laughner  of  Greensburg, 
walked  this  part  of  the  Forbes  Road  west  from 
Wolfsburg.  Passing  the  fork  where  the  Glade 
Road  branched  off,  they  came  to  the  Shawnee 
Branch  and  followed  it  for  three-quarters  of  a 
mile  to  the  site  of  Shawnee  Cabins  (half  a mile 
south  of  Schellsburg)  . From  there  the  old  path 
ran  west  to  the  foot  of  the  steep  Allegheny 
Mountain,  ascending  it  probably  a little  north 
of  the  Shot  Factory,  which  is  a little  over  six 
miles  west  of  Schellsburg. 

From  the  summit  of  the  Allegheny  Mountain, 
the  path  no  doubt  took  the  course  later  followed 
bv  the  Forbes  Road  through  Edmund’s  Swamp 
(two  and  a half  miles  north  of  Buckstown)  , past 
Breastwork  School  on  Oven  Run,  to  the  crossing 
of  Stony  Creek  below  Kantner. 

Beyond  the  crossing,  there  were  alternate 
paths.  The  drier  one  ran  along  a ridge  to  a ford- 
ing of  Quemahoning  Creek  near  Kickenapaulin’s 
Old  Town,  about  eleven  miles  south  of  Johns- 
town. The  site  is  now  submerged  by  the  Quema- 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  96 


145 


honing  Reservoir.  The  Forbes  Road  in  1758  at 
first  took  this  northern  route;  but,  the  descent 
to  Quemahoning  Creek  being  found  too  steep 
for  artillery  and  supply  wagons,  the  road  was 
changed  to  run  west  from  Kantner  through 
Stoystown  and  thence  by  a course  paralleling  but 
a little  north  of  U.  S.  30.  It  was  a wet  route,  cross- 
ing many  streams,  but  the  grades  were  better. 
The  two  routes  (i.e.,  from  Stoystown  and  from 
Kickenapaulin’s  Town)  came  together  on  the 
summit  of  Laurel  Hill.  Descending  Laurel  Hill 
in  a west-northwest  direction,  the  Raystown 
Path  followed  convenient  ridges  to  Thomas 
Crossroads  and  thence  ran  west  to  Loyalhanna 
(Ligonier) . 

Out  of  Ligonier,  there  appears  to  have  been 
a choice  of  several  routes.  One  was  down  Loyal- 
hanna Creek,  to  emerge  from  its  picturesque 
gorge  at  the  Big  Bottom,  two  and  a half  miles 
southeast  of  Latrobe.  Major  James  Grant  is 
thought  to  have  used  this  path  on  his  unhappy 
reconnaissance  of  Fort  Ducjuesne.  Another  path 
crossed  Loyalhanna  Creek  and  climbed  over 
Chestnut  Ridge,  coming  down  again  to  the  creek 
at  Big  Bottom  and  continuing  for  another  four 
miles  to  the  Parting  of  the  Ways.  It  was  on  this 
route,  overlooking  the  Big  Bottom  from  the 
north,  that  Lieutenant  Dagworthy  on  September 
8,  1758,  erected  breastworks  as  a protection  for 
Major  Grant’s  forces  in  case  they  met  with  dis- 
aster (as  they  did)  at  Fort  Duquesne. 

This  latter  was  the  route  chosen  by  Lieutenant 
Colby  Chew  on  his  reconnaissance  in  August  of 
that  year.  In  his  journal  for  Saturday,  August 
12,  1758,  after  a night  spent  in  camp  at  “the 
Loyalhanna  Old  Town”  (Ligonier),  Chew  wrote: 

...  we  continud  on  our  way  along  the 
Old  Trading  Path,  which  kept  for  10  or 
12  Miles,  or  the  most  part  along  the  low 
grounds  ot  the  Loyal  hannon,  tho,  it  some- 
times turnd  of  the  River  and  Crossed  some 
Ridges  and  the  Points  of  hills.  The  high 
Land  is  well  Timberd,  the  Ridges  not 
high,  the  Low  grounds  of  the  River  and 
in  General  of  all  the  Creeks  very  thick 
and  Bushey.  . . ,3 

West  of  Latrobe,  the  course  of  the  path  is 
traceable  only  on  the  assumption  (probably  cor- 
rect) that  the  Forbes  Road  followed  it  fairly 
closely.  From  the  vicinity  of  St.  Vincent’s  Col- 
lege it  ran  northwest  across  Fourmile  Run  and 


past  Beatty,  then  turned  north  for  about  two 
and  a half  miles  to  the  Parting  of  the  Ways. 

. . . The  right  fork  of  the  trail  [writes 
C.  W.  W.  Elkins]  passed  on  down  the 
Loyalhanna  to  its  junction  with  the  Cone- 
maugh  River  (the  present  Saltsburg)  near 
which  were  located  Keckenepaulin’s4  and 
Blacklegs  Indian  Towns.  Thence  the  trail 
continued  down  the  Kiskiminetas  River  to 
Kiskiminetas  Old  Town  (below  Vander- 
grift)  where  it  was  joined  by  the  Kiski- 
minetas branch  of  the  Kittanning  Path 
and  continued  westward  overland  to  Char- 
tier’s  Old  Town  located  on  the  Allegheny 
at  the  present  site  of  Tarentum.  From 
here,  the  trail  continued  down  the  Alle- 
gheny to  Shannopin’s  and  on  down  the 
Ohio  to  Logstown  (Ambridge) , then 
through  Beaver  and  on  into  Ohio  as  the 
Muskingum  Trail.5 

The  left  fork,  which  Forbes  followed,  went 
west  to  Crabtree  Bottoms,  crossing  Little  Crab- 
tree Creek  about  three-quarters  of  a mile  below 
Luxor.  It  passed  the  site  of  Hannastown  Fort 
(on  a ridge  about  half  a mile  south  of  present 
Hannastown)  near  which  the  Three  Redoubts 
were  built  to  protect  Forbes’  communications. 

About  two  and  a half  miles  beyond  the  Three 
Redoubts,  at  the  head  of  Brush  Creek,  the  Rays- 
town Path  came  to  another  Parting  of  the  Ways. 
Here  General  Forbes  in  1758  took  the  northern 
fork,  which  enabled  him  to  approach  Fort  Du- 
quesne by  a good  ridge  route.  It  was  a round- 
about way,  longer  than  the  other  by  several 
miles,  but  it  was  dry  (an  important  considera- 
tion in  that  very  wet  season)  and  less  in 
danger  of  ambush.  There  is  some  evidence  that 
Braddock  in  1755  was  searching  for  this  same 
ridge  path  when  a blunder  by  his  guides  caused 
him  to  change  his  plans  and  take  the  Mononga- 
hela  route. 

From  the  Parting  of  the  Ways  near  the  Three 
Redoubts,  the  northern  fork  ran  almost  straight 
north  for  a mile  and  a half  and  then  veered 
northwest,  passing  Cock  Eye’s  Cabin  (which  was 
about  a mile  and  a half  south  of  present  Export) 
and  the  site  of  Washington’s  Breastworks  (three- 
quarters  of  a mile  south  of  Newlonsburg)  . It 
forded  Turtle  Creek  at  Murrysville,  a little  over 
half  a mile  north  of  which  it  crossed  Haymaker 
Run.  Bearing  west  of  north,  it  crossed  Thomp- 
son Run  and  veered  full  west  to  strike  the  ridge 
which,  with  only  a few  slight  interruptions,  car- 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  96 


1 If', 

rietl  it  on  a winding  course  high  above  the  maze 
of  streams  and  glens  that  protect  the  approaches 
to  Pittsburgh  and  the  Point. 

The  southern  fork  ran  from  the  Parting  of 
the  Ways  past  the  site  of  Rushy  Run  Battlefield 
and  crossed  Rushs  Run  at  Harrison  City.  I hence 
it  proceeded  in  a west-northwest  direction  (as 
the  modern  toad,  /..  II.  6/212,  does)  to  tire  vicin- 
ity of  Trafford  City,  where  it  crossed  Turtle 
Creek  and  then  followed  the  defiles  ol  Turtle 
Creek  past  Pitcairn.  At  what  is  now  the  town  of 
Turtle  Creek,  it  turned  north  and,  following  the 
same  course  as  that  now  taken  by  the  Old  Greens- 
burg  Pike  past  Challant  and  Forest  Hills  to 
meet  Penn  Avenue  in  Wilkinsburg,  it  turnc'1 
west  along  Penn  Avenue  on  the  great  loop  that 
took  it  towards  the  Allegheny  at  Shannopin’s 
Town,  and  then,  following  the  river,  ran  south- 
west  to  the  Point. 

The  Three  Springs  Route 

To  avoid  the  roundabout  way  from  Fort 
Littleton  north  to  Sideling  Hill  Gap  and  then 
south  to  Wells  Tannery  and  Rays  Hill  Gap, 
early  travelers  from  Harris’s  Ferry  commonly 
took  the  New  Path  to  Aughwick  (Shirleysburg) 
or  the  Black  Log  Sleeping  Place,  and  made  their 
way  thence  up  Three  Springs  Creek  to  the 
1 luce  Springs.  Another  eight  miles  brought 
them  to  the  gap  in  Sideling  Hill. 

That  was  the  route  reported  to  the  Governor 
and  Council,  March  2,  1754,  by  John  Patten  and 
Andrew  Montour: 

The  computed  Distance  of  the  Iioad  by 
the  Indian  Traders  from  Carlisle 
to  Shanoppin's  Town 

From  Carlisle. 

Miles. 

From  Carlisle  to  Major  Montour’s  — 10 

From  Montour's  to  Jacob  Pyatt’s  — 25 

From  Pyatt’s  to  George  Croghan’s  at 
Aticcjuick  Old  Town  — — — — 1,5 

From  Croghan’s  to  the  Three  Springs  10 
From  the  I luce  Springs  to  Sideling 
Hill  _ 7 

From  Sideling  Hill  to  Contz’s  Har- 


bour — — — — — 8 

From  Contz’s  Harbour  to  t lie  top  of 
Ray’s  FI  ill  — — — j 

From  Ray’s  Hill  to  the  1 crossing  of 
Juniata  — — — ]Q 

From  the  1 crossing  of  Juniata  to  Al- 
laguapy’s  Gap  g 


From  Allaguapy’s  Gap  to  Ray’s  Town  5 

From  Ray’s  Town  to  the  Shawonese 
Cabbin  _____  _ _ 8 

From  Shawonese  Cabbins  to  the  Top 
of  Allegheny  Mountain  — — — 8 

From  Allegheny  Mountain  to  Ed- 
mund’s Swamp  — — — — — 8 

From  Edmund’s  Swamp  to  Cowama- 
hony  Creek  — — — — — — 6 

From  Cowamahony  to  Kackanapau- 
1 i ns  — — — — — — — — 5 

From  Kackanapaulins  to  Loyal  Han- 
nin  ________  18 

From  Loyal  Hannin  to  Shanoppin’s 
Town  — — — — — — — — 50° 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

There  is  no  single  modern  road  that  follows 
the  Raystown  Path  all  the  way,  but  U.  S.  30 
keeps  an  eye  on  it  most  of  the  time,  providing 
a good  view  of  the  mountain  barrier  the  path 
had  to  surmount. 

From  Harrisburg  take  U.  S.  II  through  Car- 
lisle and  Shippensburg,  both  of  which  are  on 
the  path.  Go  on  to  Chambersburg  (by  now 
you  are  of!  the  path)  , turn  right  on  U . S.  30  and 
follow  it  to  Fort  Loudon,  where  you  are  on  the 
path  again.  From  Fort  Loudon  go  north  on 
Pa.  75  to  Richmond  Furnace,  and  fork  left  on 
L.  R.  43  Spur  for  Cowan  Gap.  On  crossing  the 
line  from  Franklin  into  Fidton  County,  this  road 
runs  into  L.  R.  29044  and  follows  it  down  the 
South  Branch  of  Little  Aughwick  Creek  to  meet 
L.  R.  29032  in  the  outskirts  of  Burnt  Cabins. 

For  a more  adventurous  ride  over  the  Blue, 
Kittatinny,  and  Tuscarora  mountains,  take  Pa. 
333  from  Shippensburg  through  Orrstown  to  Up- 
per Strasburg.  There  take  a township  road  west 
over  the  Blue  and  Kittatinny  mountains  into 
Path  Valley  at  Fannettsburg.  From  Fannetts- 
burg,  take  Franklin  County’s  L.  R.  28013, 
Huntingdon  County’s  L.  R.  31077,  and  Fulton 
County’s  L.  R.  29032  over  the  Tuscarora  Moun- 
tain to  meet  U.  S.  322  at  Burnt  Cabins,  where 
the  two  branches  of  the  Raystown  Path  come 
together  again. 

From  Burnt  Cabins  take  U.  S.  322  west 
to  Fort  Littleton.  There  leave  322  and  turn 
southwest  on  a township  road  for  about  2 miles, 
when  it  meets  Pa.  473.  Turn  right  (west)  on 
473  and  follow  it  through  Hustontown.  About 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  96-97 


147 


a mile  beyond  Hustontown,  fork  left  on  L.  R. 
29025,  L.  R.  29022,  and  L.  R.  29023  (running 
west  in  succession)  . Follow'  the  last,  29023,  to 
its  junction  with  Pa.  915  on  the  summit  of 
Sideling  Hill.  Follow  915  south  for  about  3 
miles;  then  turn  right  on  U.  S.  30  and  follow  it 
to  Bedford. 

A route  closer  to  that  of  the  original  path  is 
from  Hustontown  by  Pa.  655  to  Waterfall,  by 
Pa.  913  to  New  Granada,  by  L.  R.  430  to  Wells 
Tannery,  and  by  Pa.  915  south  through  Ray’s 
Gap  to  meet  U.  S.  30  as  noted  above. 

From  the  junction  of  Pa.  915  and  U.  S.  30,  go 
west  through  Breezewood,  Everett,  Bedford, 
Stoystown,  and  Ligonier,  being  on  or  at  least 


near  the  old  path  at  each  of  these  places.  From 
Ligonier  through  Wilkinsburg  to  Pittsburgh,  30 
takes  a course  paralleling  but  some  distance  south 
of  the  old  path. 

For  a description  of  the  Forbes  Road,  see 
Appendix  No.  4. 

1 (New  York,  1911)  , I,  277. 

2 Huntington  Library  and  Art  Gallery,  L O 530,  San 
Marino,  Calif. 

3 "Colby  Chew:  Report  on  Road,”  The  Papers  of  Henry 
Bouquet  (Harrisburg,  1951),  II,  401. 

4 Not  to  be  confused  with  Kickenapaulin’s  Old  Town  on 
Quemahoning  Creek. 

6C.  W.  W.  Elkins,  “The  Indian  Trails  of  Southwestern 
Pennsylvania,”  Pennsylvania  Archaeologist,  X,  No.  2 
(April,  1940)  , 37. 

6 Pennsylvania  Colonial  Records  (Harrisburg,  1851), 
V,  750. 


97.  Raystown-Chinklacamoose  Path 

From  Bedford  to  Clearfield 


That  there  was  a recognized  Indian  highway 
from  Raystown  (Bedford)  through  Frankstown 
to  Chinklacamoose  (Clearfield)  is  made  clear 
in  a letter  from  Colonel  Henry  Bouquet  to  Gen- 
eral Forbes,  dated  “At  the  Camp  near  Reas  Town 
28th  June  1758’’: 

The  post  of  Shingalamuch  is  not  so 
easy  to  reconnoiter.  It  is  30  miles  from 
here  to  Franks  Town,  and  70  from  there 
across  continuous  mountains.  The  In- 
dians do  not  seem  inclined  to  make  this 
journey;  I shall  see  if  I can  persuade  them 
to  make  it,  and  give  them  a couple  of  our 
men.1 

The  path  from  Raystown  as  far  as  Frankstown 
is  well  enough  known.  It  was  part  of  the  War- 
riors Path  from  the  Great  Island  (Lock  Haven)  . 
From  Frankstown  north,  two  routes  were  avail- 
able: (1)  By  way  of  the  Little  Juniata  to  pres- 

ent Tyrone  and  Bald  Eagle,  and  thence  by  the 
Warriors  Mark  Path  to  join  Bald  Eagle’s  Path 
at  Philipsburg  and  follow  it  to  Chinklacamoose. 
(2)  By  way  of  the  Frankstown  Path  to  Water 
Street  and  thence  north  to  the  Warriors  Mark, 


where  it  picked  up  the  Warriors  Mark  Path  and 
followed  it  through  Bald  Eagle  and  Philipsburg 
to  Clearfield. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  Bedford  take  U.  S.  220  through  Holli- 
daysburg  (2  miles  west  of  Frankstown)  , Altoona, 
and  Tyrone  to  Bald  Eagle. 

The  alternate  way  is  to  turn  right  on  U.  S.  22  at 
Hollidaysburg,  follow  22  through  Frankstown  to 
Water  Street,  turn  left  on  Pa.  350,  and  in  about 
]/2  mile  fork  right  on  Pa.  45.  Follow  45  across 
the  Little  Juniata  at  Spruce  Creek  and  up  Spruce 
Creek  to  Seven  Stars.  There  turn  left  on  L.  R. 
56  to  Warriors  Mark  and  L.  R.  524  across  Bald 
Eagle  Mountain  to  Bald  Eagle,  where  the  two 
routes  come  together. 

From  Bald  Eagle  take  Pa.  350  for  Philipsburg. 
There  turn  left  on  U.  S.  322  and  follow  it  to 
Clearfield. 

1 As  translated  in  The  Papers  of  Henry  Bouquet,  S.  K. 
Stevens,  Donald  H.  Kent,  and  Autumn  L.  Leonard,  eds. 
(Harrisburg,  1951),  II,  143. 


148 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  98-99 


98.  Red  Hole  Path 

From  the  upper  Swatara  Creek 
to  the  West  Branch  of  the  Schuylkill 

The  Red  Hole,  a valley  that  is  said  to  have 
received  its  name  from  the  tint  of  red  shale  or 
sandstone  which  there  abounds,  lies  north  of 
Pine  Grove,  between  the  Second  Mountain  and 
Sharp  Mountain.  During  the  French  and  Indian 
War  it  was  much  used  by  Indians  as  a rendez- 
vous, rest  camp,  and  hide-out. 

The  Red  Hole  Path,  leaving  the  Tulpehocken 
Path  as  it  came  down  off  the  Broad  Mountain, 
ran  up  Swatara  Creek  to  the  mouth  of  Black 
Creek,  there  crossed  the  Swatara,  and  ran  up  the 
Black  Creek  Valley  for  about  seven  miles.  It 
then  crossed  the  divide  into  the  valley  of  Indian 
Run,  and  followed  the  latter  to  its  mouth  on  the 
West  Branch  of  the  Schuylkill  River. 

To  the  west,  the  Red  Hole  Path  made  connec- 
tions with  the  Tulpehocken  Path;  to  the  east, 
with  a path  down  the  Schuylkill  toward  Reading. 
Traces  of  the  path  may  still  be  seen  on  the  divide 
between  the  heads  of  Black  Creek  and  Indian 
Run. 


99.  Redstone  Path 

From  Mount  Braddock  to  Brownsville 

The  Redstone  Path  ran  from  the  Half  King’s 
Rock  (about  a mile  northeast  of  Summit,  Fay- 
ette County,  on  L.  II.  26115),  by  way  of  Cist’s 
Plantation  at  Mount  Braddock,  to  the  Mononga- 
hela  River  at  Redstone  Old  Fort  (Brownsville)  , 
situated  between  the  mouths  of  Redstone  and 
Dunlap  creeks.  The  ruins  of  Redstone  Old  Fort, 
an  Indian  erection,  were  nearer  Dunlap  Creek 
than  Redstone. 


FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

There  is  no  road  through  this  valley.  The 
mouth  of  Black  Creek  may  be  reached  by  taking 
Pa.  125  north  from  Pine  Grove. 


This  was  an  alternate  route  to  the  more  direct 
one  from  the  Half  King’s  Rock  through  Union- 
town  to  Brownsville.  It  had  the  advantage  of 
somewhat  easier  grades  in  the  descent  from 
Chestnut  Ridge. 


RED  HOLE  PATH 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  99-100 


149 


From  the  Half  King’s  Rock  to  Gist’s,  the  Red- 
stone Path  used  the  same  branch  of  the  Catawba 
Path  that  Braddock  had  used  in  1755.  From 
Gist’s  it  ran  west  past  Bute  and  Vance  Mills  to 
join  Dunlap’s  Path  (the  other  branch  of  Nema- 
colin’s  Path)  near  the  Monongahela.  See  Nema- 
colin’s  Path. 

West  of  Christopher  Gist’s,  it  was  widened  in 
1759  by  Colonel  James  Burd,  and  was  known 
thereafter  as  Burd’s  Road.  Fort  Burd  was 
erected  at  the  approximate  site  of  Redstone  Old 
Fort,1  on  a hill  overlooking  the  mouth  of  Dun- 
lap Creek  and  the  ford  of  the  Monongahela 
River. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

For  the  road  from  the  Half  King’s  Rock  to 
Mount  Braddock,  see  Nemacolin’s  Path.  From 
Mount  Braddock  west,  there  is  no  road  that  fol- 
lows the  Indian  way.  Make  the  best  wray  you  can 
to  individual  points  along  the  route:  Bute, 

Vance  Mills,  and  Brier  Hill.  From  there  the 
National  Road  will  take  you  to  Brownsville. 

1 Lois  Mulkearn  and  Edwin  V.  Pugh,  A Traveler’s  Guide 
to  Historic  Western  Pennsylvania  (Pittsburgh,  1954) , 
222-23. 


100.  St.  Joseph’s  Path 

From  Powell  to  Ulster 

St.  Joseph’s  Path  was  one  of  several  “crossing 
paths”  from  Towanda  Creek  to  Sugar  Creek  in 
Bradford  County.  It  was  used  by  travelers  over 
the  Sheshequin  Path  in  order  to  avoid  the  wide 
loop  through  Towanda.  The  late  Leo  Wilt  of 
Towanda  was  of  the  opinion  that  St.  Joseph’s 
Path  was  named  in  honor  of  Bishop  August 
Gottlieb  Spangenberg,  known  among  the  Mora- 
vians as  “Brother  Joseph,”  who  traveled  over 
this  path  on  his  way  to  Onondaga  with  Conrad 
Weiser  in  1745. 

From  Powell  on  Towanda  Creek  it  ran  north 
over  the  hills  past  Overshot,1  crossed  Sugar  Creek 
and  Hemlock  Creek,  and  came  down  to  the  Sus- 
quehanna River  about  a mile  south  of  Sheshe- 
quin (Ulster)  . A variant,  according  to  Leo  Wilt, 
ran  by  way  of  what  is  known  locally  as  the  Pail 


Factory  at  a bend  of  Sugar  Creek  three  and  a 
half  miles  east  of  Luthers  Mills. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

No  modern  road  follows  this  part  of  the 
Sheshequin  Path. 

1 Sayre  Quadrangle,  1927,  U.  S.  Topographic  and  Geo- 
logic Survey,  1:62500. 


1 50 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  101 


101.  Salt  Lick  Path 

From  Ligonier  to  Hunkers 


The  Salt  Lick  Path  ran  from  Loyalhanna 
(Ligonier)  to  Braddock’s  Camp  No.  16  at  the 
Salt  Lick,  which  was  about  half  a mile  west  of 
the  present  Hunkers  in  Hempfield  Township, 
Westmoreland  County. 

This  Indian  highway  probably  followed  the 
Catawba  Path  from  Loyalhanna  southwest  to 
Laurelville  (six  miles  west-northwest  of  Done- 
gal) , there  branching  off  to  follow  the  Glades 
Path  through  Mount  Pleasant,  where  it  turned 
north  and  west  on  Braddock’s  Road  for  about 
five  miles  to  the  Salt  Lick.  The  Salt  Lick  was 
situated  at  what  is  now  No.  10  Mine  of  the 
Delmont  Fuel  Company,1  four  or  five  miles 
northwest  of  Jacob’s  Hunting  Cabin  and  about 
a mile  and  three-quarters  southwest  of  the  pres- 
ent New  Stanton. 

Major  George  Armstrong  wrote  to  Colonel 
Henry  Bouquet  from  the  “Camp  at  Drownding 
Creek  7"*  August  1758’’:  “.  . . Mr  Allen  sets  off 
tomorrow  with  3 soldiers  and  A pilot  [guide]  to 


F.  D.  [Fort  Duquesne]  and  also  Mr  Reynolds 
with  an  equal  party  to  reconitre  the  Road  from 
Loyalhanon  to  the  Salt  Lick  upon  Gen1  Bradocks 
Road.  . . .”2 

FOR  TFIE  MOTORIST 

The  general  route  of  the  path  may  be  followed 
today  by  taking  Pa.  711  from  Ligonier  to  Done- 
gal, there  picking  up  Pa.  31  and  following  it  to 
Mount  Pleasant,  and  from  that  point  taking 
minor  roads  (headed  for  Hunkers)  about  7 
miles  farther  to  the  site  of  the  Salt  Lick  Camp. 
It  is  on  the  north  side  of  Sewickley  Creek  at 
No.  10  Mine  of  the  Delmont  Fuel  Company. 

'For  evidence  concerning  the  location  of  the  Salt  Lick 
Camp,  see  the  present  writer’s  "Blunder  Camp:  A Note 
on  the  Braddock  Road."  Pennsylvania  Magazine  of  His- 
tory and  Biography . LXXXV1I,  No.  1 (January,  1963),  26. 

- The  Papers  of  Henry  Bouquet,  S.  K.  Stevens,  Donald 
H.  Kent,  Autumn  L.  Leonard,  eds.  (Harrisburg,  1951)  , 
II.  320.  "Drownding  Creek”:  at  Kickenapaulin’s  Town  on 
Quemahoning  Creek. 


K-To 


the  Forks  of 


4 t he  Ohio 


* Mad i son  ^ 


V 


V 


S e w , 


Ly  Cr 
% tjwNe vt  Stanton 

_ 


• Hunkers  JACOBS  CABINS 


Mt.  PleasantO*###*,'*0 


Laurelville 


. ’ • 

A • 

Acme 


• • 


To  the  Iroquois 


To  the 
Catawbas 


* # # O Donegal 

V To  Raystown 


LOYALHANNA 

(Ligonier) 


N 

A 


SALT  LICK  PATH 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  102 


151 


102.  Sewickley  Old  Town  Path 

From  West  Newton  to  New  Kensington 


The  Sewickley  Old  Town  Path,  sometimes 
known  as  the  “Puckety  Creek  Path”  and  also  as 
Byerly’s  Path,  ran  between  two  Indian  towns, 
both  of  which  derived  their  names  from  the 
The-we-gi-Ia  (Sewickley)  division  of  the  Shaw- 
nees.  The  one  Sewickley  town  was  on  the 
Youghiogheny  River  near  West  Newton;  the 
other,  on  the  Allegheny  River  at  New  Kensing- 
ton. Each  is  better  known  from  the  records  as 
Sewickley  Old  Town,  since  the  Indian  occupants 
left  early  in  the  eighteenth  century. 

The  site  of  the  more  southerly  Sewickley  was 
somewhere  about  the  mouth  of  Sewickley  Creek 
near  West  Newton  and  up  the  creek  on  Old 
Town  Bottom  between  Blackburn  and  Cowans- 
burg  at  the  mouth  of  Little  Sewickley  Creek. 

According  to  a continuance  docket  of  1803,  the 
Hempfield-North  Huntingdon  township  line  co- 
incided with  the  “Sewickley  Old  Town  Path.” 
The  full  course  of  the  path  has  not  been  traced 
in  detail,  but  the  route  here  described  is  con- 
sonant with  evidence  from  road  dockets  and 
warrantee  surveys  showing  “the  old  way  to 
Youghey  Creek”  (e.g.,  D 70-184),  and  from  the 
researches  of  the  late  William  J.  Laughner  of 
Greensburg. 

From  the  mouth  of  Sewickley  Creek,  the  path 
ran  up  the  creek  valley  through  Old  Town  Bot- 
tom (between  Blackburn  and  Cowansburg) , 
and  thence  northwest  by  a ridge  path  (“the  old 
way”)  to  meet  Braddock’s  Road  about  two  miles 
northwest  of  Herminie.  It  turned  left  on  Brad- 
dock’s  Road  and  followed  it  for  about  four  miles, 
leaving  it  at  the  point  where  Braddock  changed 
his  course  and  turned  into  the  Monongahela 
Valley.  The  Sewickley  Path  (presumably  the 
one  Braddock  had  been  searching  for) 1 con- 
tinued north,  crossed  Turtle  Creek  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  Trafford,  climbed  the  hill  north  of  that 
town,  and  followed  the  Haymaker  Road  (tradi- 
tionally known  as  an  Indian  path)  to  its  junc- 
tion with  the  Logan’s  Ferry  Road.  Continuing 
north  on  the  latter  from  the  vicinity  of  Bouquet’s 
Breastworks,  it  passed  through  the  present  New 


Texas  to  Logan’s  Ferry  on  the  Allegheny  River 
and  Sewickley  Old  Town  at  the  site  of  Parnassus 
and  New  Kensington. 

According  to  William  J.  Laughner,  the  Sewick- 
ley Old  Town  Path  merely  crossed  the  Brad- 
dock Road  near  Herminie  and  took  a route 


now  closely  followed  by  Hempheld  Township’s 
boundaries  with  Sewickley  and  North  Hunting- 
don townships.  At  Manor  it  crossed  Brush 
Creek  and  almost  immediately  Bushy  Run  just 
above  its  mouth,  and  ran  up  the  west  side  of 
Bushy  Run  to  Harrison  City.  From  the  circum- 
stance that  Andrew  Byerly  had  a grant  of  300 
acres  at  Harrison  City  and  made  frequent  use  of 
this  part  of  the  Sewickley  Old  Town  Path,  it 
was  sometimes  known  as  Byerly’s  Path.  From 
Harrison  City  the  path,  after  crossing  Bushy  Run 
again,  ran  almost  due  north  along  the  ridges  to 
Cock  Eye’s  Cabin. 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  102-103 


At  Cock  Eye’s  Cabin  there  appears  to  have 
been  a fork.  With  a left  turn,  the  traveler  to 
Sewickley  found  himself  on  the  Forbes  Road, 
which  he  followed  to  the  crossroads  where  Bou- 
quet built  his  breastworks  in  1758.  There  the 
traveler  left  the  Forbes  Road  and  turned  north 
on  the  branch  of  the  path  (described  above) 
which  came  to  be  known  as  the  Logan’s  Ferry 
Road. 

William  J.  Laughner,  on  the  other  hand,  was 
of  the  opinion  that  the  Sewickley  Old  Town 
Path  took  the  right  fork  at  Cock  Eye’s  Cabin, 
running  north  for  a mile  and  a quarter  to  Ex- 
port, and  thence  continuing  north  over  a wind- 
ing course  to  Pucketa  Creek  and  following  the 
creek  to  Sewickley  Old  Town  at  its  mouth. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

No  good  modern  road  traces  this  path  closely 
except  for  the  last  stretch  clown  Pucketa  Creek. 
But  the  motorist  will  not  be  very  far  off  the  path 
il  he  follows  these  directions: 


From  the  mouth  of  Sewickley  Creek  (which 
can  be  reached  from  West  Newton  on  L.  R. 
61238)  , take  L.  R.  61101  north  to  Herminie. 

I here  turn  left  on  L.  R.  61103  up  the  valley  of 
a small  run  and  continue  past  Braddock’s  Road 
on  61103  and  /..  R.  120  Spur  to  Manor.  From 
Manor  take  Pa.  993  to  Harrison  City.  A side  trip 
is  worth  taking  from  here  to  the  Bushy  Run 
Battlefield,  about  one  and  a quarter  miles  east 
on  993. 

From  Harrison  City  a county  road  runs  north 
to  Export.  There  take  L.  R.  61036  north  for 
about  3^  mile.  Turn  right  on  L.  R.  61027 
and  follow  it  for  about  2 miles.  A left  turn  on 
L.  R.  61181  will  take  you  in  a little  over  3 miles 
to  Pa.  286.  Go  right  on  286  for  a few  hundred 
yards  to  Wiester,  and  there  take  the  country 
road  running  north  and  west  to  meet  Pa.  366 
on  Pucketa  Creek.  Follow  366  down  the  creek 
to  New  Kensington. 

'See  Wallace,  "Blunder  Camp:  A Note  on  the  Brad- 
dock  Road,"  Pennsylvania  Magazine  of  History  and  Bi- 
ography, LXXXVII,  Xo.  1 (January,  1963),  27-30. 


103.  Sheshequin  Path 

From  Williamsport  to  Ulster 


The  Sheshequin  Path  ran  from  the  West 
Branch  of  the  Susquehanna  at  the  mouth  either 
of  Lycoming  Creek  or  of  Loyalsock  Creek  to  the 
North  Branch  at  Sheshequin  (Ulster)  . It  pro- 
vided a short  route  with  easy  grades  between 
Indian  settlements  in  the  vicinity  of  Tioga 
(Athens)  and  those  at  or  near  the  Great  Island 
(Lock  Haven)  and  Shamokin  (Sunbury)  . 

I he  main  course  of  the  path — up  Lycoming 
Creek  and  down  Towanda  Creek— was  constant, 
but  there  were  several  variants  at  the  ends  and 
over  the  height  ot  land  between  the  two  streams, 
loom  trench  Margaret’s  I own  at  Newberry,  a 
suburb  of  Williamsport,  the  Sheshequin  Path 
ran  up  the  valley  of  Lycoming  Creek,  crossing 
it  a number  ot  times,  past  Hepburnville,  Cogan 
Valley,  I rout  Run,  Fields  Station,  Bodines, 
Marsh  Hill,  Ralston,  and  Roaring  Branch,  to 
what  was  formerly  known  as  the  Beaver  Dam  at 
Giover.  Beyond  Grover,  one  branch  ran  down 


Towanda  Creek  to  Canton  and  East  Canton, 
while  a short  cut  went  west  almost  straight 
across  the  hills  by  way  of  Beech  Flats  to  rejoin 
the  other  branch  at  East  Canton. 

At  the  far  end  of  the  path,  one  branch  led 
directly  through  Leroy,  West  Franklin,  Powell, 
and  Monroeton  to  Towanda  at  the  creek’s 
mouth;  while  others  ran  north  to  Sugar  Creek 
and  thence  either  downstream  to  Oscalui  at  its 
mouth  or  across  it  to  Sheshequin  and  so  on  to 
Tioga.  There  were  several  of  these  “crossing 
paths.”  One  ran  from  Leroy  to  the  vicinity  of 
West  Burlington;  another,  north  from  Powell.1 

In  “Indian  Paths  or  Trails  in  Bradford 
County,”  the  late  Leo  Wilt  has  some  observations 
on  the  crossing  paths: 

. . . There  was  another  crossing  down 
the  Towanda  creek,  at  or  near  a point 
now  Powell,  thence  to  Sugar  Creek  at  a 
point  commonly  known  as  the  “Pail  Fac- 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  103 


1 53 


then  go  up  a western  affluent  to  near  its  head, 
and  come  down  from  the  hills  to  Lycoming 
Creek  at  the  mouth  either  of  Log  Run  or  Mill 
Creek.4 

When  Conrad  Weiser  and  Shickellamy  came 
this  way  in  March,  1737,  they  found  the  creeks 
in  flood  and  the  snow  two— sometimes  three- 
feet  deep,  so  that  they  were  forced  to  take  an- 
other route.  From  Madame  Montour’s  they  went 
up  the  Loyalsock  to  Wallis  Run  and  made  their 
way  with  difficulty  through  its  narrow  gorge. 
“.  . . the  Indians  took  the  lead,”  wrote  Weiser, 
“and  clambered  with  hands  and  feet  alone;  the 
side  of  the  mountain;  we  followed  after.  I had 


tory.”  We  find  also  the  Indians  evidently 
found  that  by  passing  over  a slight  eleva- 
tion they  could  leave  Sugar  Creek  near  the 
“Pail  Factory”  and  strike  the  source  of 
Ffemlock  Run  and  intersect  with  the  main 
path  at  the  river.  This  by  some  early 
writers  is  called  “St.  Joseph's  Path.”  From 
the  vicinity  of  Luther’s  Mills  another 
short-cut  path  led  from  the  main  path 
down  Sugar  Creek,  over  the  hill  to  the 
Indian  village  of  Sheshequenock  on  the 
west  branch  of  the  river  (now  Ulster)  .2 

Travelers  entering  the  Sheshequin  Path  from 
Shamokin  could  leave  the  Great  Shamokin  Path  . 
about  a mile  west  of  the  Loyalsock,  go  north- 
west to  Millers  Run,  follow  it  for  another  mile,3 


SHESHEQUIN  PATH 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  103 


a small  hatchet  in  my  hand,  with  which  I broke 
the  ice  to  give  us  a foothold. Leaving  Wallis 
Run,  they  followed  Murray  Run  for  a little  dis- 
tance. It  is  commonly  supposed  that  they  pro- 
ceeded up  the  West  Branch  of  Murray  Run 
past  Calvert,  and  came  down  to  the  Lycoming 
at  Fields  Station.  The  late  F.  E.  Lichtenthaeler, 
on  the  other  hand,  after  examining  the  terrain, 
expressed  the  opinion  that  they  kept  east  of  the 
East  Branch  of  Murray  Run,  traveled  almost 
due  north  to  Slacks  Run,  and  turned  west  down 
the  run  to  its  mouth  on  Lycoming  Creek  near 
Bodines. 

John  Bartram  and  Lewis  Evans  accompanied 
Weiser  over  the  Sheshequin  Path  on  their  way 
to  Onondaga  (Syracuse)  in  17  13.  A party  of 
Moravians— August  Gottlieb  Spangenberg,  David 
Zeisberger,  and  John  Joseph  Bull  (Shebosch)  - 
accompanied  him  in  1745. 

. . . This  same  path  or  trail  was  also  fol- 
lowed by  Colonel  Hartley  with  two  hun- 
dred soldiers  in  1778  [wrote  J.  Andrew 
Wilt]  when  he  destroyed  Queen  Esther’s 
town  at  or  near  Milan  on  the  west  bank 
of  the  river,  and  returned  by  way  of  the 
trail  along  the  Susquehanna  and  by  boats, 
he  being  overtaken  by  the  Indians,  below 
Wyalusing,  where  he  fought  the  battle 
on  what  is  known  as  “Indian  Hill”  in 
Tuscarora  township  between  Laceyville 
and  Wyalusing. 

Colonel  Hartley,  with  his  little  army 
of  200  men,  demonstrated  the  practicabil- 


ity and  feasibility  of  transporting  and 
marching  soldiers  over  these  Indian  paths 
or  trails,  which  led  to  the  General  Sullivan 
expedition  into  the  Indian  country  in  the 
following  year.6 

See  also  Lycoming  Path. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  Williamsport  take  U.  S.  15  to  Trout 
Run,  and  from  there  U.  S.  11  to  Canton.  At 
Canton  take  Pa.  114  and  follow  it  to  its  junction 
with  U.  S.  220  at  Monroeton.  Follow  220  to 
Towanda,  Ulster  (Sheshequin)  , and  Athens 
(Tioga)  . 

Conrad  Weiser’s  picturesque  route,  by-passing 
Williamsport,  may  also  be  followed  fairly  closely. 
From  Montoursville  take  Pa.  87  north  to  Loyal- 
sockville.  There  cross  the  Loyalsock  Creek  and 
turn  north  immediately  on  L.  II.  11050.  Follow 
it  to  Calvert.  From  there  take  L.  R.  167  to  Fields 
Station. 

1 One  of  these  is  described  under  St.  Joseph’s  Path.  See 
also  "Baird's  Book  of  Maps"  (MS.)  in  the  Tioga  Point 
Museum,  Athens,  Pa. 

-Bradford  County  Historical  Society,  Annual,  I (1906), 
26-27. 

3 Sec  Warrantee  Survey  B-514. 

' Xow  and  Then,  V (1936)  , 90  ff. 

'Paul  A.  W.  Wallace,  Conrad  1 Veiser,  Friend  of  Colonist 
and  Mohawk  (Philadelphia,  1945)  . 80.  For  Conrad 
Weiser 's  further  adventures  on  the  Sheshequin  Path,  see 
pp.  80-84,  156-57.  220. 

""Indian  Paths  or  Trails  in  Bradford  County,”  Brad- 
ford County  Historical  Society,  Annual.  I (1906),  27. 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  104 


155 


104.  Sinnemahoning  Path 

From  Lock  Haven  to  Port  Allegany 

The  Sinnemahoning  Path  ran  from  the  Great 
Island  (Lock  Haven)  up  the  West  Branch  of  the 
Susquehanna  River  and  Sinnemahoning  Creek 
to  Emporium.  Thence  it  ran  over  the  Allegheny 
Portage  (q. v.),  crossing  at  Keating  Summit  the 
height  of  land  between  the  Susquehanna  and 
Ohio  river  drainages,  to  Canoe  Place  (Port 
Allegany)  on  the  Allegheny  River. 

No  other  path  provided  such  easy  grades 
across  Pennsylvania’s  mountains.  For  that  rea- 
son it  has  been  suggested  that  the  first  Indians 
who  moved  into  Pennsylvania  from  the  west, 
thousands  of  years  ago,  may  have  come  through 
this  gateway.  The  Sinnemahoning  Path  was  used 
by  early  settlers  in  McKean,  Potter,  and  Clinton 
counties,  and  by  others  migrating  west. 

To  Olean 

CANOE  PLACE 
(Port  A!legany)\A 


# Keating  Summit 

v 


There  has  been  some  question  whether  the 
path  forded  the  West  Branch  and,  if  it  did,  where 
and  how  often.  Perhaps  the  crossings  depended 
on  the  season  and  the  height  of  the  water.  The 
late  Dr.  T.  B.  Stewart  of  Ambler  (formerly  of 
Lock  Haven)  was  of  opinion  that  the  path  crossed 
the  river  several  times  east  of  Hyner.  George  P. 
Donehoo,1  on  the  other  hand,  thought  the  path 
kept  to  the  north  side  of  the  river:  in  other  words, 
that  it  ran  through  Farrandville,  Ferney,  Wheth- 
am,  Ritchie,  Hyner,  North  Bend,  Renovo, 
Shintown  and  Westport. 

According  to  J.  F.  Meginness,2  there  was  a 
short  cut  over  the  mountains  from  the  mouth  of 
Cooks  Run  (three  miles  east  of  the  mouth  of 
the  Sinnemahoning)  to  the  First  Fork. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  Lock  Haven  take  U.  S.  120  to  Hyner. 
To  that  point  the  road  follows  the  south  side  of 
the  river,  but  it  allows  some  good  views  of  the 
north  bank,  where  the  path  ran.  From  Hyner 
(about  4i/2  miles  east  of  Renovo)  the  motorist 
may  take  a paved  road  to  Hyner  View,  where  an 
extensive  panorama  may  be  had  of  the  valley 
where  river  and  path  ran. 

From  Hyner  continue  on  U.  S.  120  through 
Renovo,  Shintown,  and  Westport  to  the  mouth 
of  Sinnemahoning  Creek  at  Keating  and  on  up 
the  Sinnemahoning  valley  to  Emporium  Junc- 
tion (Canoe  Place)  . From  there  take  Pa.  155 
(with  such  variations  as  are  recommended  for 
the  Allegheny  Portage;  see  Portage  Paths ) over 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  104-106 


1 56 

Keating  Summit  to  Port  Allegany  and  towns  on 
the  Allegheny  River. 

1 Indian  Villages  and  Place  Karnes  in  Pennsylvania  (Har- 
risburg, 1928)  , 206. 

3 Otzinachson  (Williamsport,  1889),  662. 

10.5.  Standing  Stone  Path 

o 

From  Huntingdon  to  Milesburg 

The  Standing  Stone  Path  ran  north  from 
Standing  Stone  (Huntingdon)  on  the  Juniata 
River,  through  State  College,  to  Bald  Eagle’s 
Nest  (Milesburg)  , where  it  joined  the  Bald  Eagle 
Creek  Path  on  its  way  to  the  Great  Island  (Lock 
Haven) . 

Little  record  has  been  made  of  its  use.  The 
best  evidence  for  its  existence  comes  from  two 
sources:  William  Scull’s  map  of  Pennsylvania, 
1770  (English  edition)  ; and  a warrantee  survey, 
A 19-26,  in  the  Bureau  of  Land  Records,  Harris- 
burg. 

Scull’s  map  shows  a path  running  northeast 
from  Huntingdon,  up  the  valley  of  Standing 
Stone  Creek,  veering  north-northeast  by  a ridge 
route  to  cross  the  headwaters  of  Shaver  Creek, 
probably  in  the  vicinity  of  Monroe  Furnace.  The 


STANDING  STONE  PATH 


path  is  shown  climbing  over  Tussey  Mountain  to 
the  site  of  Pine  Grove  Mills,  and  thence  running 
north-northeast  by  way  of  present  Bloomsdorf, 
Struble,  and  State  College.  Keeping  west  of 
Spring  Creek,  it  is  shown  crossing  Buffalo  Run 
near  its  junction  with  Spring  Creek,  there  join- 
ing the  Bald  Eagle  Creek  Path,  which  comes 
north  from  Frankstown,  and  following  it  to  its 
destination  at  the  Great  Island. 

Warrantee  Survey  A 19-26  (1770)  shows  the 
path  as  running  a little  east  of  south  across 
Michael  Greiter’s  tract  of  310  acres  (in  Patton 
I ownship,  Centre  County)  , which  is  described 
in  these  words:  “Tract  of  Land  called  Blooming 
Garden  situate  in  the  Long  Limestone  Valley  on 
the  path  leading  from  the  Bald  Eagle’s  Nest  to 
Standing  Stone  8cc  about  Eight  Miles  from  said 
Nest  on  both  sides  of  Trout  Run  adjoining.” 
Trout  Run  was  an  early  name  for  Buffalo  Run. 
According  to  this  survey,  the  path,  or  one  branch 
of  it,  crossed  Buffalo  Run  six  or  seven  miles 
higher  up  than  is  shown  on  Scull’s  map. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

Pa.  26  follows  the  general  route  of  this  path 
from  Huntingdon  to  Milesburg.  It  is  somewhat 
longer  than  the  Indian  path,  however,  making 
a detour  in  Huntingdon  County  by  way  of  Mc- 
Alevys  Fort,  and  another  in  Centre  County,  keep- 
ing east  of  Spring  Creek  and  passing  through 
Bellefonte. 

106.  Standing  Stone- 

o 

Fort  Littleton  Path 

From  LIuntingdon  to  Fort  Littleton 

Fording  the  Juniata  River  at  Standing  Stone 
(Huntingdon)  , the  path  to  Fort  Littleton  ran 
south  up  the  valley  of  Crooked  Creek,  crossed 
the  divide,  and  met  the  Frankstown-Burnt  Cab- 
ins Path  about  two  miles  northeast  of  Markles- 
burg.  From  that  point  it  followed  the  Franks- 
town-Burnt Cabins  Path  (q-v.),  crossing  the 
Raystown  Branch  of  the  Juniata  at  Sarah,  and 
so  proceeding  to  Fort  Littleton. 

The  path  is  shown  on  William  Scull’s  map  of 
Pennsylvania,  1770,  in  both  the  English  and  the 
French  editions. 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  106-107 


1 57 


STANDING  STONE-FT.  LITTLETON  PATH 


107.  Sullivan’s  Road 

From  Easton  to  Elmira,  N.  Y. 

General  John  Sullivan  in  1779  turned  an  In- 
dian path  into  a military  road  for  the  invasion 
of  the  Iroquois  country.  Sullivan’s  Road  ran 
from  Easton  (Lechawekink)  at  the  Forks  of 
the  Delaware,  by  way  of  the  Wind  Gap  and 
Bartonsville,  to  Wyoming  (Wilkes-Barre) , Tioga 
(Athens,  Pa.) , and  the  Chemung  Valley  in  New 
York. 

From  Easton  the  path  ascended  Chestnut  Hill 
to  Stockertown  and  Belfast,  thence  running 
through  the  Wind  Gap  to  Saylorsburg.  To  this 
point  it  is  closely  followed  by  Pa.  115.  From 


Saylorsburg  it  ran  north  through  Sciota  and 
Snydersville  to  Bartonsville.  There  it  picked 
up  the  Pechoquealin  Path  (q.v.)  and  followed 
it  to  Wyoming. 

From  Wyoming,  the  Sullivan  Road  followed 
the  Great  Warriors  Path  to  Tioga,  took  the  For- 
bidden Path  up  the  Chemung  Valley,  and  entered 
the  Seneca  country  by  the  back  door  at  Kanawo- 
halla  (Elmira)  . 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  Easton  take  Pa.  115  s/4  mile  past  Saylors- 
burg, Appl.  2731  and  Bus.  209  to  Snydersville, 
L.  R.  15033  to  Bartonsville,  and  U.  S.  Alt.  611  to 
Tannersville.  From  that  point,  follow  directions 
under  the  Pechoquealin  Path. 


SULLIVAN'S  ROAD 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  108 


1 58 


108.  Susquehanna  Path 

From  Harrisburg  to  Sunbury 


Evidence  that  there  was  a path  to  Shamokin 
(Sunbury)  running  up  both  the  east  and  the 
west  shore  of  the  Susquehanna  from  Paxtang 
(Harrisburg)  and  Lemoyne,  is  found  in  a map  of 
1756  attributed  to  Captain  Joseph  Shippen.1  It 
purports  to  show  the  several  routes  (by  water 
and  by  land)  taken  by  men  of  Colonel  William 
Clapham’s  regiment  when  in  July  of  that  year 
they  went  north  in  bateaux  and  over  Indian 
paths  to  build  Fort  Augusta  at  the  Forks  of  the 
Susquehanna. 

The  Shippen  map  does  not  show  a path  run- 
ning up  the  west  shore  from  the  mouth  of  the 
Conodoguinet  near  Lemoyne  to  the  Juniata 
mouth  at  Duncannon.  But  there  must  have 
been  such  a path.  I'he  difficulties  of  terrain  do 
not  appear  to  have  been  formidable,  and  the 
need  of  communications  that  way  is  sufficiently 
evident.  In  historic  times  there  were  Indian  set- 
tlements at  both  places.  It  may  be  supposed 
that  they  had  quicker  and  easier  communications 
one  with  the  other  than  by  fording  the  three- 
quarters-of-a-mile-wide  Susquehanna  twice,  or  by 
taking  the  steep  and  roundabout  way  through 
Croghan’s  (Sterretts)  Gap. 

From  the  Juniata  north,  the  evidence  of  the 
Shippen  map  is  explicit.  The  west-shore  path 
is  shown  as  starting  opposite  Haldeman  Island, 
at  the  west  end  of  a long  ford  reached  by 
a riverbank  path  from  Harrisburg.  The  ford 
apparently  touched  the  northern  tip  of  Halde- 
man Island  and  reached  the  west  shore  about  a 
mile  and  a half  northeast  of  the  Juniata  River 
and  a mile  and  a quarter  southwest  of  New  Buf- 
falo. From  there  for  a few  miles  the  path  ran 
almost  straight  north,  keeping  well  back  from 
the  river,  which  here  bends  far  to  the  east;  and, 
passing  through  a gap  in  Half  Falls  Mountain, 
turned  east  to  meet  the  river  a little  south  of  the 
gap  in  Berry  Mountain. 

Passing  through  the  gap,  the  path  continued 
along  the  river  bank  through  Mt.  Patrick  and 
Liverpool.  It  forded  Mahantango  Creek  (the 


one  west  of  the  Susquehanna)  about  half  a mile 
from  its  mouth  and  got  back  to  the  river  again 
at  McKees  Half  Falls.  Still  following  the  bank, 
it  went  through  Chapman  and  Port  Trevorton, 
crossed  Middle  Creek,  came  through  Selinsgrove, 
forded  Penns  Creek  a little  east  of  the  present 
bridge  on  U.  S.  11  and  15,  and  about  four  miles 
beyond  the  bridge  forded  the  Susquehanna  to 
the  Indian  town  of  Shamokin. 

Charles  Fisher  Snyder2  notes  that  a variant 
of  the  path  left  the  river  bank  at  the  old  Herrold 
School  below  Port  Trevorton,  passed  through 
Verdilla,  and  turned  west  to  follow  the  ridge  to 
the  crossing  of  Middle  Creek.  “Reliable  tradi- 
tion,” he  writes,  “tells  of  the  cannon  for  the 
armament  of  the  fort  being  dragged  on  wooden 
sledges  up  the  hill  at  the  Herrold  School  loca- 
tion.”3 

For  a map  of  the  path,  see  the  Paxtang  Path 
map.  The  route  of  the  Susquehanna  Path  is 
there  traced  along  the  west  shore. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  Harrisburg,  go  north  on  U.  S.  22  to  the 
Clarks  Ferry  Bridge.  Cross  it,  and  continue  on 
22  for  about  1 1/2  miles  to  the  fork  at  Amity  Hall. 
Fork  right  on  U.  S.  II  and  /5.  From  Lemoyne, 
II  and  15  will  take  you  right  through. 

If  you  wish  to  see  the  gap  in  Half  Falls  Moun- 
tain, turn  northwest  from  New  Buffalo  on  L.  R. 
50015  and  continue  on  township  roads  through 
the  gap  and  then  turn  west  to  reach  the  river 
again  at  Montgomery  Ferry.  From  there  follow 
U.  S.  II  and  15  through  Liverpool,  McKees  Half 
Falls,  Port  Trevorton,  and  Selinsgrove.  At  the 
traffic  circle  about  5 miles  beyond  Selinsgrove, 
bear  right  on  11  across  the  Susquehanna  Bridge, 
and  turn  left  into  Sunbury. 

1 Map  105,  Division  of  Public  Records,  PHMC. 

- "The  Great  Shamokin  Path  and  Other  Indian  Trails 
Which  Radiated  from  the  Forks  of  Susquehanna,”  North- 
umberland County  Historical  Society,  Proceedings,  XIV 
(1944) , 43-44. 

3 Ibid.,  44. 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  109-110 


159 


109.  Three  Springs  Path 

From  Shirleysburg  to  Bedford 

The  Three  Springs  Path  was  a short  and  con- 
venient link  between  the  Frankstown  Path  and 
the  Raystown  Path.  It  ran  south  from  Aughwick 
(Shirleysburg)  through  Orbisonia  and  up  the 
valley  of  Three  Springs  Creek  to  the  present 
town  of  Three  Springs.  Thence  it  ran  southwest 
to  Sideling  Hill  Creek,  meeting  the  Raystown 
Path  at  Waterfall,  near  the  entrance  to  Sideling 
Hill  Gap.  From  that  point  it  followed  the  Rays- 
town Path  to  Bedford. 


110.  Tioga  Path 

From  Trout  Run  to  Painted  Post 

Leaving  the  Lycoming  Valley  and  the  Sheshe- 
quin  Path  at  Trout  Run  (north  of  Williamsport), 
the  Tioga  Path  ran  north  over  the  mountains 
and  down  the  Tioga  River  to  Painted  Post,  an 
important  junction  point  of  Indian  paths  and 
canoe  routes. 

From  Trout  Run  the  path  ran  for  two  miles 
and  more  up  the  valley  of  Trout  Run,  which  it 
crossed  several  times.  At  the  mouth  of  the  Steam 
Valley  Branch,  where  the  modem  road,  U.  S.  15, 
forks  left  up  the  Branch,  the  Tioga  Path  (and 
the  Williamson  Road  that  followed  it)  continued 
north  up  the  valley  of  Trout  Run,  past  the 
mouth  of  Sixmile  Hollow.  It  climbed  Laurel 
Mountain  and  Laurel  Hill,  ran  past  the  old 
Mountain  School  and  Independent  School, 
crossed  Jew  Hill,  and  came  down  to  the  present 
Liberty  on  Blockhouse  Creek.  From  Liberty,  it 
followed  U.  S.  15  fairly  closely  through  Sebring 
and  for  several  miles  beyond.  Approaching  Bloss- 
burg,  however,  through  the  valley  of  Bloss  Creek, 
it  hugged  the  South  Mountain,  and  reached  the 
Tioga  River  at  the  Canoe  Place  (Blossburg)  . 

From  Blossburg  the  Tioga  Path  followed  the 
Tioga  River,  passing  through  Covington,  Mans- 
field, Tioga,  and  Lawrenceville,  Pa.,  to  Painted 
Post,  N.  Y. 


TIOGA  PATH 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  110-112 


1 00 

This  was  the  route  taken  by  the  Williamson 
Road  (completed  in  1797),  which  carried  set- 
tlers from  Central  Pennsylvania  to  the  Genesee 
country  in  upstate  New  York. 

From  Painted  Post  a branch  of  the  Tioga  Path 
led  up  the  Cohocton  River  to  Canandaigua  and 
Conewagus  (Avon)  , while  another  ran  down 
the  Tioga  (Chemung)  River  to  the  Cayuga  town 
of  Tioga  (Athens) . 

“ Tioga  Path”  was  also  an  alternate  name  for 
the  Forbidden  Path  (q.v.). 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  Williamsport  take  U.  S.  15  and  follow  it 
through  Trout  Run  and  Blossburg  to  Painted 
Post.  U.  S'.  15  keeps  fairly  close  to  the  old  path 
except  for  a few  miles  between  Trout  Run  and 
Liberty.  Between  those  points  the  Indian  path 
and  the  Williamson  Road  took  a shorter  way: 
up  Trout  Run  to  its  head  and  across  Laurel 
Mountain  and  Laurel  Hill  to  Liberty.  The 
modern  road  found  an  easier  grade  round  by 
the  Steam  Valley  Branch  and  down  Steam  Valley 
Run  and  Blockhouse  Run. 


111.  Tory  Path 

From  Allemaengel  to  Catawissa 

A bridle  path  known  as  the  Tory  Path  or  the 
old  Catawissey  Path”1  ran  from  Allemaengel 
(a  district  in  Albany  Township,  Berks  County, 
east  of  Hamburg)  over  the  Blue  Mountain  to 
Drehersville.  Thence  it  ran  north  to  McKeans- 
burg,  on  over  the  Second  Mountain  to  the  head 
ol  I umbling  Run,  over  Sharp  Mountain  to 
Middleport,  over  Locust  Mountain  to  what  is 
now  Mahanoy  City,  and  over  North  Mahanoy 
Mountain  to  the  valley  of  Catawissa  Creek, 
uhicli  was  a haven  for  lories  during  the  Revo- 
lution. from  Catawissa,  trails  ran  north  to 
Muncy,  west  to  Shamokin  (Sunbury)  , east  to 
Nescopeck  and  Wyoming. 

1 Warrantee  Survey  Ir  340. 


112.  Towanda  Path 

(The  Genesee  Road) 

From  Muncy  to  Towanda 

I he  Towanda  Path  ran  from  Munsee  and 
Shawnee  settlements  in  the  vicinity  of  Muncy  on 
the  West  Branch  of  the  Susquehanna,  to  Tow- 
anda on  the  North  Branch. 

Leaving  the  Shawnee  town  of  Canaserago  (said 
to  have  been  situated  on  the  north  bank  of 
Muncy  Creek,  about  four-fifths  of  a mile  from 
the  Susquehanna)  d the  Towanda  Path  ran  up 
the  east  bank  of  Wolf  Creek  (formerly  known 
as  Mingo  Run)  ,2  which  at  one  time  flowed  into 
Muncy  Creek  just  above  its  mouth.  The  path 
crossed  the  Cheat  Shamokin  Path  and,  a few 
yards  north  of  it,  passed  the  old  Indian  fort 
described  by  Conrad  Weiser  in  1737. 3 


TOWANDA  PATH 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  112 


161 


At  Chippewa  (about  a mile  and  a quarter 
north  of  U.  S.  220  and  Pa.  11)  it  passed  the  site 
of  John  Adlum’s  house,  still  standing,  and  a little 
farther  on  crossed  Wolf  Creek  about  where  the 
modern  road,  L.  R.  41061 , does.  Running  north 
another  mile  and  a half  from  the  crossing  to 
Oak  Run  School,  it  left  the  modern  road  and 
climbed  Long  Hill,  keeping  its  course  along  the 
summit  of  the  ridge  to  Huntersville. 

From  Huntersville  it  bore  slightly  east  of  north 
to  ascend  Allegheny  Ridge,  and  turned  north- 
east along  the  summit  to  a point  above  Highland 
Lake.  It  ran  past  Camp  Genesee,  turned  north 
and  ran  down  the  mountain  into  the  valley  of 
Ogdonia  Creek,  followed  that  stream  to  its 
mouth,  and  ran  up  the  east  bank  of  Loyalsock 
Creek  to  the  ford  at  Hillsgrove.4 

From  Hillsgrove  the  Towanda  Path  bore 
northeast  up  the  valley  of  Loyalsock  Creek, 
turned  north  up  Elk  Creek  valley  to  Lincoln 
Falls,  and  from  there  ran  northeast  over  the 
hills  (keeping  on  the  riclge  between  Eldredsville 
and  Bedford  Corners)  to  Bethel  and  Hugos 
Corners.  From  Hugos  Corners  the  path  ascended 
Cahill  Mountain  and  came  down  Chilson  Run 
into  Northrup  Hollow  and  the  valley  of  Mill- 
stone Creek— the  Painted  Line  (q.v.). 

From  the  mouth  of  Millstone  Creek  at  Powell, 
the  path  followed  Towanda  Creek  to  its  mouth 
at  Towanda  (“Towandemunk,”  as  Frau  Roth, 
a Moravian,  wrote  it)  ,5  “At  T owandemung 
(Towanda)  signifying  ‘where  there  is  burying,’ 
was  a Nanticoke  cemetery— that  is  a repository  of 
skeletons .”6 

Built  on  this  path  was  the  Genesee  Road 
(opened  about  1799)  ,7  so  named  because  it  was 
one  of  the  main  routes  used  by  “emigrants  from 
Southern  Pennsylvania,  Maryland  and  Virginia 
to  the  rich  valley  of  the  Genesee  River.”8  The 
late  Dr.  T.  Kenneth  Wood  of  Williamsport  has 
noted  that  at  Liberty  Hall  (north  of  the  present 
Hugos  Corners  and  at  the  foot  of  Cahill  Moun- 
tain) “it  is  said  that  as  many  as  28  Conestoga 
wagons  spent  the  night  enroute  to  the  lush 
Genesee  Valley  of  Western  New  York.”9 

The  Towanda  Path  was  about  nine  miles 
shorter  than  the  modern  “through  road”  ( 'U.  S. 
220)  between  Muncy  and  Towanda.  Until  re- 
cently it  was  in  large  part  kept  open.  Mr.  Elmer 
Burkhart  of  Huntersville  informed  the  present 
writer,  November  1,  1949,  that  in  his  younger 


days  he  drove  a thresher  over  the  Genesee  Road 
all  the  way  from  Huntersville  to  Ogdonia  and 
Hillsgrove.  The  grades,  he  said,  were  excellent. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  Muncy  take  Pa.  14  north  for  about  a 
mile,  then  turn  right  on  L.  R.  41061  and  follow 
it  to  Huntersville.  For  some  miles  from  that 
point  it  is  impossible  to  follow  the  Tow'anda 
Path  by  modern  roads;  but  if  the  motorist  bears 
right  at  Huntersville  on  the  so-called  “Genesee 
Trail”  (which  is  not  the  original  Genesee  Road) 
for  Highland  Lake,  he  will  traverse  the  slope  of 
the  Allegheny  Ridge  only  about  i/2  mile  south 
of  the  original  path. 

Near  Highland  Lake  the  Towanda  Path  and 
the  “Genesee  Trail”  come  together.  Follow'  them 
down  the  mountain  to  Ogdonia  Creek  and  bear 
left  on  L.  R.  56004  to  Ogdonia.  There  turn 
right  on  Pa.  87  and  follow  it  up  the  Loyalsock 
Creek  through  Hillsgrove  to  the  mouth  of  Elk 
Creek.  Turn  left  on  L.  R.  291  and  follow'  it  to 
Lincoln  Falls.  At  this  point  it  is  necessary  to 
leave  the  path,  but  its  course  can  be  approxi- 
mated by  taking  the  country  road  northeast  to 
Eldredsville  and  beyond  it  by  way  of  L.  R.  56017 
to  Hugos  Corners.  At  the  Corners  inquire  for 
the  old  road  over  Cahill  Mountain  (if  it  is  pass- 
able) and  clowm  Millstone  Creek  to  Weston  and 
Powell. 

An  alternate  route  from  Hugos  Corners  is 
by  L.  R.  08008  to  New  Albany  and  from  there 
by  U.  S.  220  north  to  Towanda.  This  route 
misses  the  most  picturesque  part  of  the  path, 
over  Cahill  Mountain  and  down  Millstone  Creek, 
but  it  is  safer. 

1 This  is  the  location  suggested  to  the  writer  by  Dr.  T. 
Kenneth  Wood  of  Williamsport. 

2 Warrantee  Survey  D 62-19. 

3 Paul  A.  W.  Wallace,  Conrad  Weiser,  Friend  of  Colonist 
and  Mohawk  (Philadelphia,  1945)  , 80. 

* In  1793  Baron  Charles  Felix  Boulogne  (land  agent 
for  the  Asylum  Company  preparing  a refuge  for  Queen 
Marie  Antoinette)  , while  attempting  this  ford  after  dark, 
was  drowned  in  the  adjoining  whirlpool.  See  Now  and 
Then,  IV  (1929-1932),  255. 

5 Frau  Roth  to  Br.  Nathanael,  September  30,  1771, 
Moravian  Archives,  Bethlehem. 

3 Moravian  Historical  Society,  Transactions,  I (1872), 
194. 

7 T.  Kenneth  Wood,  “On  the  Genesee  Road,”  Now  and 
Then,  V (1934-1935)  , 120. 

8 “First  Roads  Connecting  the  West  and  North 
Branches,”  by  C.  D.  E.,  Now  and  Then,  II  (1888-1890),  163. 

°Now  and  Then,  X,  No.  5 (July,  1952),  151. 


162 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  1 13 


113.  Tulpehocken  Path 

From  Sunbury  to  Womelsdorf 


The  Tulpehocken  Path  in  historic  times  ran 
from  Shamokin  (Sunbury)  at  the  Forks  of  the 
Susquehanna  to  Weiser's  (Womelsdorf)  on  Tul- 
pehocken Creek.  It  was  used  by  Iroquois  em- 
bassies coming  from  Onondaga  (Syracuse)  and 
other  parts  of  the  Six  Nations  country  by  way  of 
Shamokin  to  the  Tulpehocken  region  and  Phila- 
delphia. Travelers  going  north  from  Tulpe- 
hocken called  this  the  Shamokin  Path. 

Leaving  Shamokin,  the  Tulpehocken  Path 
crossed  Shamokin  Creek,  ascended  the  steep  slope 
of  Shamokin  Hill,  and  ran  south  for  about  six 
miles  over  the  highlands,  preserving  a distance 
of  about  two  miles  from  the  Susquehanna  River. 
Then,  veering  southwest  into  the  valley  of  Boile 
Run,  it  skirted  the  shoulder  of  Mahanoy  Moun- 
tain. 

There  has  been  some  question  whether  the 
path,  in  turning  towards  the  river  to  avoid 
Mahanoy  Mountain,  used  the  valley  of  Boile 
Run  or  some  other  valley.  Some  think  it  ran 
down  Hallowing  Run,  a couple  of  miles  north 
of  the  former  stream.  There  may  have  been 
alternate  routes,  but  certainly  the  evidence  of 
warrantee  surveys  in  the  Bureau  of  Land  Records 
at  Harrisburg  supports  the  Boile  Run  route: 
C 206-207  shows  a tract  surveyed  in  1789  to 
Jacob  Seltzer  “situate  on  Boyls  Run  and  the 
old  Shamoken  Path”:  C 167-159  shows  a tract 
surveyed  in  1774  to  Thomas  Palmer  “Situate 
on  the  Waters  of  the  first  Brook  or  run  that 
empties  into  Susquehanna  River  on  the  North- 
erly side  of  Mahonoy  mountain,  and  on  the  path 

leading  from [obliterated]  to  Sunbury.” 

Boile  Run  is  the  first  brook  north  of  Mahanoy 
Mountain. 

Rounding  (he  shoulder  of  Mahanoy  Mountain 
by  a shelf  between  cliff  and  water,  the  path 
forded  Mahanoy  Creek,  ascended  the  narrow 
ridge  that  parallels  the  creek  lor  several  miles, 
and  descended  to  the  valley  of  Mouse  Creek, 
which  it  followed  to  the  vicinity  of  Urban. 
Thence  it  ran  east,  skirting  the  slope  of  Hoof- 
lander  Mountain  (as  the  modern  road  does)  , 
tinned  sharply  south  at  the  east  end  of  Fishei 
Ridge,  and  crossed  Mahantango  Creek  to  what  is 


now  Klingerstown.  Passing  through  a gap  in 
Mahantango  Mountain,  it  turned  east  again  at 
Erdman,  and  ran  up  the  valley  of  Pine  Creek 
through  Sacramento  and  Valley  View  to  Hegins. 

At  Hegins  it  turned  southwest  to  ascend  the 
steep  slope  of  Broad  Mountain.  Passing  the 
spring  at  the  summit  from  which  Goodspring 
Post  Office  took  its  name,  the  path  ran  on  to 
Keffer,  where  it  turned  east  to  Joliett.  From 
Joliett  it  descended  Broad  Mountain  to  Lorberry 
Creek  and  followed  it  to  its  junction  with  Swa- 
tara  Creek.  Keeping  to  the  east  side  of  the 
Swatara,  the  path  passed  through  the  gap  in  the 
Second  Mountain,  using  an  eighteen-inch-wide 
shelf  on  the  cliffside.  From  Pine  Grove  it  climbed 
over  the  Blue  Mountain  to  Bethel,  ran  on 
through  Rehrersburg  and  Host,  and  reached  the 
Tulpehocken  Creek  at  Womelsdorf. 

An  alternate  route  from  Sunbury  crossed 
Shamokin  Creek  a mile  or  more  higher  up  than 
the  former  path  and  struck  off  southeast  to  meet 
the  other  near  Klingerstown.  This  second  path 
was  a few  miles  shorter,  but  it  was,  as  noted  by 
Lewis  Evans  on  his  “Map  of  Pensilvania”  (1749)  , 
“Scarce  passable  for  3 Steep  Mountains.”  These 
were  the  Little  Mountain,  Mahanoy  Mountain, 
and  Line  Mountain. 

In  early  days,  before  the  road  from  Weiser’s 
to  Reading  and  Philadelphia  was  opened,  In- 
dians from  Shamokin  who  were  on  their  way 
to  Philadelphia  used  a continuation  of  the  Tul- 
pehocken Path  which  was  known  as  the  Alle- 
gheny Path  (q.v.).  It  ascended  the  South  Moun- 
tain by  way  of  die  Kluft  (narrow  but  dry  and 
always  passable)  just  below  Eagle  Peak,  and 
came  down  again  to  Blainsport,  Reinholds,  Alle- 
ghenyville,  and  Morgantown.  Thence  it  con- 
tinued over  a not-well-known  route— probably 
through  Conestoga  (in  West  Nantmeal  Town- 
ship, Chester  County)  , Loag,  Lionville,  and 
White  Horse— to  Philadelphia. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

The  path  from  Womelsdorf  to  Sunbury  was 
considerably  shorter  than  the  modern  highway. 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  113 


163 


It  can  still  be  followed  fairly  closely  on  good 
roads  to  within  a few  miles  of  Sunbury. 

From  Womelsdorf  take  Pa.  419  to  Rehrersburg. 
There  turn  left  (west)  on  L.  R.  06007  and  follow 
it  for  2 miles  to  its  junction  with  Pa.  501.  Turn 
right  (north)  on  501  and  follow  it  across  the 
Blue  Mountain  to  Pa.  443  near  Pine  Grove.  In 
Pine  Grove,  turn  left  (north)  on  Pa.  125.  Follow1 
it  to  Ravine,  and  there  turn  left  (northwest)  on 
L.  R.  53029.  Follow  this  road  and  its  continua- 
tion, L.  R.  23027 , past  the  Lincoln  Colliery  and 
Joliett  to  meet  Pa.  125  again  at  Goodspring.  Fol- 
low 125  to  Hegins. 

At  Hegins  turn  left  (west)  on  Pa.  25  and 
follow  it  to  Sacramento.  There  turn  northwest 
on  L.  R.  53048  and  follow  it  to  Erdman.  Turn 
right  and  go  through  the  gap  to  Klingerstown. 
It  will  be  noted  that  the  road  changes  its  number 


several  times  within  a mile,  this  being  the  point 
at  which  the  counties  of  Schuylkill,  Dauphin, 
and  Northumberland  come  together. 

At  Klingerstown  take  L.  R.  49007,  follow  it 
for  about  i/2  mile,  and  then  turn  sharp  north  on 
L.  R.  49008.  Follow  this  road  for  about  6 miles 
to  the  vicinity  of  Urban.  Then  turn  right  (north) 
on  L.  R.  49009  and  follow  it  for  about  H/2  miles 
to  Pa.  225.  From  this  point  it  is  difficult  to  follow 
the  old  path  on  motor  roads.  It  will  be  best  to 
turn  left  on  225 , keep  with  it  to  its  junction  with 
Pa.  147 , and  follow  the  latter  to  Sunbury. 

The  legislative  routes  mentioned  above  are 
well  paved.  If  the  numbers  are  confusing,  follow 
road  signs  for  Rehrersburg,  Bethel,  Pine  Grove, 
Ravine,  Lincoln  Colliery,  Joliett,  Goodspring, 
Hegins,  Valley  View,  Sacramento,  Erdman,  Kling- 
erstown, Urban,  Herndon,  Fishers  Ferry,  and 
Sunbury. 


164 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  114 


114.  Tunkhannock  Path 

From  Tunkhannock  to  New  Milford 

The  Tunkhannock  Path  is  said  to  have  run 
from  the  Indian  town  of  Tunkhannock,  at  the 
mouth  of  Tunkhannock  Creek  on  the  North 
Branch  of  the  Susquehanna  River,  to  a junction 
with  the  Lackawanna  Path  (the  branch  to  Apple 
Tree  Town)  at  the  site  of  present  New  Milford. 
Thence  it  followed  the  Lackawanna  Path  down 
Salt  Lick  Creek  to  Hallstead  and  across  the  Sus- 
quehanna to  “an  old  Tuscorora  Town”1  at 
Great  Bend.  This  was  Ingaren,  sometimes  called 
Apple  Tree  Town.2 

Apple  Tree  Town  (also  called  by  the 
early  settlers  “The  Three  Indian  Apple 
Trees”)  was  an  important  Indian  settle- 
ment on  the  flats  where  the  present  Lacka- 
wanna Trail  crosses  the  River.  The  “three 
apple  trees”  were  the  survivors  of  an  ex- 
tensive Indian  orchard  and  are  well  re- 
membered by  those  still  living.  . . ,3 

Emily  C.  Blackman  quotes  from  “A  Talk  with 
an  Indian  Doctor,”  by  J.  Du  Bois: 

He  further  said  that  the  Three  Apple 
Trees  was  the  rallying  point  and  head- 
quarters for  all  the  Indians  in  the  neigh- 
borhood. Here  councils  were  held, 
marriages  celebrated,  feasts  observed,  war- 
dances  performed,  and  the  fate  of  pris- 
oners decided.4 


From  the  vicinity  of  New  Milford,  there  ap- 
pears to  have  been  a branch  of  this  path  leading 
northwest  to  the  famous  Salt  Springs,  which 
were  one  mile  west  of  Franklin  Forks  in  Frank- 
lin Township. 

Old  Fred  Tiffany,  at  his  home  near  Tiffany 
Pond  (about  a mile  northwest  of  Kingsley  on 
Martin  Creek  in  Susquehanna  County)  , made 
the  following  statement  to  this  writer,  September 
9,  1951: 

There  was  an  Indian  trail  from  Tunk- 
hannock up  Tunkhannock  Creek  to  Nich- 
olson and  then  from  Nicholson  up  Mar- 
tin’s Creek  to  the  summit,  where  the  creek 
raises  [southeast  of  New  Milford],  and 
from  there  to  the  Salt  Springs.  About  a 
mile  below  Kingsley,  by  the  creek,  my 
great  grandfather  told  me  he  found  some 
old  posts  where  Indians  had  made  a camp. 

A number  of  Indian  relics  were  found 
there. 

FOR  TFIF  MOTORIST 

From  Tunkhannock  take  U.  S.  6 to  Dixon, 
Pa.  92  to  Nicholson,  and  U.  S.  11  through 
Kingsley  and  New  Milford  to  Hallstead  and 
Great  Bend  (Apple  Tree  Town)  . 

1 Warrantee  Survey  G-99. 

2 Warrantee  Survey  D 29-206. 

3T.  Kenneth  Wood,  “The  ‘Great  Bend’  of  the  Sus- 
quehanna River,”  Now  and  Then,  IV  (1931)  , 342. 

4 History  of  Susquehanna  County , Pennsylvania  (Phila- 
delphia, 1873) , 68. 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  II 5 


1 65 


115.  Turkey  foot.  Path 

From  Cumberland,  Md.,  to  Confluence , etc. 


The  Turkeyfoot  settlement  was  so  named  be- 
cause it  was— as  its  modern  name  Confluence  also 
suggests— at  the  junction  of  three  waterways:  the 
Youghiogheny  River,  the  Little  Youghiogheny 
or  Little  Crossings  (now  Casselman)  River,  and 
the  North  Fork  (Laurel  Hill)  Creek.  It  was  at 
the  junction  of  several  Indian  paths,  each  of 
which,  from  its  terminal  point,  was  called  the 
Turkeyfoot  Path. 

A.  Wills  Creek  to  Turkeyfoot 

According  to  local  tradition  (which  finds  some 
support  in  documentary  evidence)  the  mid- 
eighteenth-century highway  known  as  the  Tur- 
keyfoot Road— of  which  many  sections  are  still 
visible  and  a few  carry  modern  traffic— was  based 
on  an  Indian  and  packers  path. 

From  the  Potomac  River  at  the  mouth  of  Wills 
Creek  (the  site  of  Fort  Cumberland,  from  which 
Braddock’s  expedition  moved  against  Fort  Du- 
quesne)  , the  Turkeyfoot  Path  ran  up  the  valley 
of  Wills  Creek  to  the  mouth  of  Jennings  Run 
at  Corriganville.  There  it  turned  west  and 
followed  the  run  to  the  town  of  Mount  Savage. 
Heading  west-northwest,  it  ascended  Big  Savage 
Mountain,  crossed  it  a little  northeast  of  Samp- 
son Rock,  and  entered  Somerset  County,  Penn- 
sylvania, about  a mile  and  a half  southeast  of 
the  town  of  Pocahontas.  It  crossed  the  heads 
of  Piney  Creek  and,  keeping  a straight  course 
paralleling  the  modern  road,  it  passed  about  a 
quarter  of  a mile  southwest  of  Pocahontas. 

Crossing  the  head  of  Little  Piney  Creek,  it 
bore  south  of  west  to  top  the  Allegheny  Moun- 
tain at  a slight  depression  about  a mile  north- 
northeast  of  the  junction  of  Big  and  Little  Piney 
creeks  and  not  far  from  Wildcat  Lookout.  From 
the  summit  it  descended  in  a west-northwest  di- 
rection to  Big  Piney  Creek,  which  it  crossed  near 
Engle’s  Mill,  thence  approaching  Salisbury  by 
way  of  the  cemetery  east  of  town.1  It  ran  through 
the  town  of  Salisbury  about  where  Union  Street 
is  today,  crossed  Main  Street,  and  in  the  western 
outskirts  of  the  town  forded  the  Casselman  River 


at  a point  betwen  the  mouth  of  Tub  Mill  Run 
on  the  west  side  of  the  river  and  the  mouth  of 
Meadow  Run  on  the  east  side.  For  about  eight 
miles  thereafter  the  course  of  the  path  was  in 
general  that  of  the  modern  hard-top  (L.  R.  55011 , 
55010,  and  55008)  headed  for  Listonburg,  which 
several  times  intersects  the  old  Turkeyfoot  Road 
during  its  ascent  of  Negro  Mountain.  The  path 
crossed  this  mountain  ridge  about  a mile  and  a 
half  south  of  a hump  known  as  Mount  Davis, 
3213  feet  above  sea  level,  the  highest  point  in 
Pennsylvania. 

At  the  foot  of  Winding  Ridge,  where  Shoe- 
maker Run  heads,  the  hard-top  leaves  the  old 
road,  which  here  made  the  most  spectacular 
climb  in  its  course.  It  traversed,  on  an  ascending 
grade,  the  steep  northern  side  of  Winding  Ridge 
above  the  valley  of  Glade  Run  (formerly  Negro 
Glade  Run)  2 and  the  swamp  at  its  head  where 
there  still  grow  patches  of  the  wild  glade  glass 
(used  on  occasion  for  winter  hay)  for  which 
Somerset  County  is  famous.  An  unnumbered  but 
passable  single-lane  dirt  road  follows  the  same 
winding  and  in  places  breath-taking  course  to- 
day. The  present  road  and  the  old  one  keep 
together  as  they  begin  to  descend  the  west  slope 
of  Winding  Ridge;  but,  before  reaching  the  old 
Silbaugh  School,3  the  old  road  and  the  new  sepa- 
rate, the  former  bearing  to  the  left  (southwest)  . 
In  about  half  a mile  after  crossing  Cucumber 
Run,  the  Turkeyfoot  Road  turned  a little  north 
of  west  to  descend  a mile-long  ridge  at  the  bot- 
tom of  which  the  modern  road  rejoins  it.  This 
is  L.  R.  55016,  as  it  approaches  Dumas  on  Whites 
Creek.  From  Dumas  it  is  less  than  a mile  to 
the  Casselman  River  at  Harnedsville,  whence 
several  routes  are  available  to  Turkeyfoot 
(Confluence)  . 

The  remains  of  old  Indian  settlements  are 
found  in  this  vicinity.4  Soon  after  the  middle 
of  the  eighteenth  century,  white  men  also  were 
making  homes  here.  By  1751  the  Ohio  Company 
was  preparing  to  clear  a road  from  Wills  Creek 
to  the  Turkeyfoot.  Among  the  “Orders  and 
Resolutions  of  the  Ohio  Company”  of  that  year 
appears  this  item: 


166 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  115 


Resolved  that  it  is  necessary  to  have  a 
Road  cleared  from  the  mouth  of  Wills 
Creek  to  the  three  forks  of  Youghogane 
and  that  Col0  Cresap  be  empowered  to 
agree  with  any  person  or  persons  willing 
to  undertake  the  same  so  that  the  expence 
thereof  does  not  exceed  twenty  five  pounds 
Virginia  currency.”5 

Such  a contract  presupposes  the  existence  of  an 
Indian  path.  It  is  hardly  possible  that  a forty- 
mile  road  could  have  been  “cleared”  through 
virgin  forest  over  Big  Savage  Mountain,  Alle- 
gheny Mountain,  Negro  Mountain,  and  Winding 
Ridge  for  “twenty  five  pounds  Virginia  cur- 
rency” if,  that  is,  it  involved  the  prospecting  and 
hewing  out  of  a totally  new  way.  All  that  can 
have  been  called  for  was  the  clearing  of  brush 
and  the  removal  of  dead  trees  to  permit  the  pas- 
sage of  pack  trains  and  wagons  over  an  Indian 
path. 

“T  he  Waggon  Road  leading  from  the  Com- 
pany’s Store  house  on  Wills  Creek  on  Potomack 
River”  to  the  three  forks  of  “Yauyaugaine”  is 
indicated  on  “John  Mercer’s  map  of  Ohio  Com- 
pany lands  made  before  November  6,  1752. ”6 

Turkeyfoot  soon  became  a stopping  place  on 
a short  route  from  Cumberland  to  Fort  Pitt. 
James  Veech  in  The  Monongahela  of  Old  de- 
scribes a continuation  of  the  Turkeyfoot  Road 
over  Laurel  Hill  to  the  Forks  of  the  Ohio: 

The  “Turkey  Foot  settlement”  is  one  of 
the  oldest  west  of  the  mountains.  Hence 
roads  to  and  through  it  were  established 
very  early;  and  every  such  road  came  to  be 
called  a “Turkey  Foot  road.”  . . . There 
was,  however,  one  Turkey  Foot  road 
which  was  an  important  one,  though  it 
is  now  mostly  abandoned,  and  much  of  it 
overgrown  with  bushes,  or  fenced  in.  It 
was  established  as  a nearer  route  to  Fort 
Pitt  from  Cumberland,  than  Braddock’s 
road.  It  left  the  last  named  road  some- 
where in  Maryland,  east  of  the  Great 
Crossings,  and  entered  Fayette  county, 
from  Somerset,  as  it  crossed  the  summit  of 
Laurel  Hill;  thence,  passing  down  Skin- 
ner's Mill  run  to  near  its  entrance  into  In- 
dian creek,  crossing  it  a little  above  the 
junction,  and  the  Mud  Pike  near  where 
Springfield  now  is,  it  passed  by  Cornelius 
Woodruff’s  old  place,  descended  the  Chest- 
nut ridge,  and  crossed  Mountz’s  creek  at 
Cathcart’s,  or  Andrew’s  Mill,  and  crossed 
Jacob’s  creek  about  a mile  below  the  old 
Chain  Bridge,  there  leaving  this  county; 
and  soon  coming  into  the  route  of  Brad- 


dock,  it  passed  through  the  Sewickley  set- 
tlement, &c.,  to  Fort  Pitt. 

On  this  road,  about  the  junction  of 
Skinner’s  Mill  run  and  Indian  creek,  were 
the  well  known  “bullock  pens.”  As  early 
as  1776,  if  not  earlier,  Gen.  George  Mor- 
gan, afterwards  Indian  Agent  in  the 
Pittsburgh  region,  came  out  by  this  road 
with  a lot  of  cattle,  either  on  private  ac- 
count, or  for  the  garrison  at  Fort  Pitt,  and 
finding  fine  range  and  natural  meadow 
here,  he  stopped,  had  a large  body  of  land, 
lying  on  both  sides  of  the  creek,  enclosed 
with  the  rail  fence,  (some  of  which  was 
visible  within  ten  years  past,)  and  kept  the 
cattle  there  for  a long  time.  . . ,7 

This  route  is  said  to  have  been  used  as  a 
drovers’  road.  “After  the  National  Road  (the 
Braddock  Road)  was  cobblestoned  about  1820,” 
says  Jack  Pyle  of  Salisbury,  “drovers  from  Pitts- 
burgh and  the  Ohio  on  their  way  to  Baltimore 
and  Winchester  brought  their  herds  over  the 
Turkeyfoot  trail  to  save  their  hooves.” 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

The  path  can  be  followed  fairly  closely  most 
of  the  way  from  Cumberland  to  Confluence. 
From  Cumberland,  Md.,  take  U.  S.  40  (the  Na- 
tional Road)  to  Narrows  Park  in  the  outskirts  of 
the  city.  Turn  right  on  Md.  36.  Follow  36  up 
Wills  Creek  to  the  mouth  of  Jennings  Run  at 
Corriganville.  There  turn  left  (west)  and  fol- 
low the  run  to  the  town  of  Mount  Savage.  From 
that  point  it  is  impossible  for  the  motorist  to 
follow  the  trail  over  Big  Savage  Mountain.  He 
must  content  himself  with  a wide  detour:  con- 
tinuing on  36  to  Frostburg,  there  turning  west 
on  U.  S.  40  again  for  2i/2  miles,  and  then  taking 
Md.  546  north  through  Finzel  to  join  the  Tur- 
keyfoot Road  at  the  Pennsylvania  border. 
About  i/2  mile  north  of  Finzel,  the  road  forks, 
the  left  fork  following  the  old  path  rather  closely 
to  Pocahontas  and  1 1/2  miles  beyond.  There 
the  motorist  again  must  leave  the  Turkeyfoot 
Road,  which  took  a short  but  steeper  way  over 
the  Allegheny  Mountain.  From  Pocahontas  take 
L.  li.  55002  for  over  4 miles  down  Little  Piney 
Creek,  then  turn  right  on  a township  road  down 
Big  Piney  Creek  to  Engle’s  Mill  at  the  edge  of 
Boynton.  From  the  mill,  a township  road  (left) 
keeps  fairly  close  to  the  old  path  through  Salis- 
bury. Salisbury  was  the  site  of  the  so-called  Long 
Field,  a narrow  strip  of  cultivated  ground  on 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  115 


167 


the  south  side  of  the  early  town  which  “has  al- 
ways been  looked  upon  as  the  work  of  Indians.”8 

From  Salisbury  the  road  crosses  the  Casselman 
River  about  200  yards  north  of  the  old  ford. 
Turning  south  on  the  river  bank,  it  follows  the 
stream  for  i/4  mile  (the  Turkeyfoot  Road  at 
this  point  taking  a short  cut  over  the  hill  to  the 
right) , and  then  swings  southwest,  west,  and 
northwest,  following  (but  only  in  a general  way) 
the  course  of  the  Turkeyfoot  Road  and  Indian 
Path  up  Negro  Mountain  and  down  it  again  to 
the  cemetery  and  the  foot  of  Winding  Ridge. 

Here  the  motorist  must  leave  the  hard-top  and 
follow  a narrow  track  (safe  for  motor  cars  in  dry 
weather)  which  traverses  the  steep  north  side 
of  Winding  Ridge  overlooking  the  valley  of 
Glade  Run.  About  a mile  west  of  the  only  house 
and  farm  passed  on  the  summit,  the  modern  road 
leaves  the  old  Turkeyfoot  Road,  paralleling  its 
course  for  2 miles  at  a distance  of  less  than  i/2 
mile  to  the  north.  Before  reaching  Whites  Creek 
at  Dumas,  the  old  road  and  the  new  find  them- 
selves together  again. 


In  the  valley  of  Whites  Creek,  the  road  which 
the  motorist  has  followed  from  Winding  Ridge 
runs  into  Pa.  53.  In  about  a mile  53  crosses  the 
Casselman  River  at  Harnedsville,  and  in  another 
2 miles  enters  Confluence. 

B.  Somerset  to  Confluence 

That  there  was  an  old  path  running  from  the 
vicinity  of  Somerset  to  Turkeyfoot  is  indicated 
on  the  Reading  Howell  map  of  Pennsylvania 
(1792)  . That  it  was  probably  an  Indian  path  is 
suggested  by  the  fact  that,  as  early  as  177S  and 
1774,  certain  tracts  of  land  along  the  way  were 
described  on  warrantee  surveys  as  on  “the  Old 
Turkey  Foot  Path.”9 

Howell’s  map  shows  the  path  as  leaving  the 
Glades  Road  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Stony  Creek 
Glades  (a  little  east  of  Somerset)  and,  after 
crossing  Middle  Creek,  running  parallel  with, 
but  at  a distance  from,  Laurel  Hill  Creek.  That 
corresponds  with  the  location  of  the  modern 
road,  Pa.  53,  and  also  with  several  warrantee  sur- 
veys of  tracts  “on  the  path  that  leads  from  the 
Glades  to  Turkeyfoot.”10 


168 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  115-116 


FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  Somerset  take  Pa.  53  and  follow  it  to 
Confluence. 

’The  course  of  the  Turkeyfoot  Road  was  shown  to  the 
present  writer,  walking  and  driving,  November  4,  1962, 
by  Jack  Pyle  of  Salisbury.  Mr.  Pyle’s  father  when  a boy 
had  walked  it  all  the  way,  with  his  father,  to  Maryland 
for  a cow.  It  was  still  open  for  wagon  traffic  in  the 
early  1880’s.  At  the  present  time  it  is  for  the  most  part 
out  of  use,  but  Jack  Pyle  has  followed  it  on  foot  over 
most  of  its  course. 


'Warrantee  Survey  A 11-94. 

5 Shown  on  the  Confluence  Quadrangle  of  the  U.  S. 
Geological  Survey,  scale  1:62500. 

‘Mary  Butler,  Three  Archaeological  Sites  in  Somerset 
County,  Pennsylvania  (Harrisburg:  Pennsylvania  Histori- 
cal Commission,  1939)  . 

5 George  Mercer  Papers,  Lois  Mulkearn,  ed.  (Pitts- 
burgh, 1954),  143,  565. 

8 Ibid.,  opposite  page  72. 

T (Pittsburgh,  1892) , 34. 

8 John  C.  Cassady,  The  Somerset  County  Outline  (Scott- 
dale,  Pa.,  1932)  , 78. 

“Warrantee  Surveys  A 38-127,  D 8-216. 

10  See  the  Glades  Path. 


116.  Tuscarora  Path 


From  North  Carolina  through  Path  Valley  to  Sunbury,  Pa. 


Path  Valley  (i.e.,  the  valley  of  the  West  Branch 
of  Conococheague  Creek  and  the  valley  of  Tusca- 
rora Creek)  was  named  for  the  Tuscarora  Path 
which  ran  through  it.  How  the  path  got  its  name 
is  a matter  of  question.  According  to  tradition, 
it  was  called  the  Tuscarora  Path  because  it  was 
the  wyay  the  Tuscarora  Indians  came,  during  the 
eighteenth  century,  to  find  refuge  in  the  Iroquois 
country  of  northern  Pennsylvania  and  upstate 
New  York.  George  P.  Donehoo,  on  the  other 
hand,  thought  the  name  “Tuscarora”  was  given 
to  this  path  still  earlier  by  the  Iroquois  because 
it  was  the  way  to  their  Iroquoian  kin,  the  Tusca- 
roras,  whom  they  later  adopted  as  the  sixth  na- 
tion of  the  Iroquois  Confederacy. 

Certain  it  is  that,  after  the  last  great  Tuscarora 
fort,  Narhantes  (near  Snow  Hill,  Greene  County, 
North  Carolina)  , was  destroyed  on  January  30, 
1713,  bands  of  Tuscaroras  at  different  times  left 
their  homeland  to  find  refuge  under  the  Iroquois 
Free  of  Peace.  Some  settled,  Brst,  at  the  Great 
Bend  of  the  Susquehanna  River  in  the  Oneida 
country,  and  later  at  the  foot  of  the  Niagara 
Gorge  in  the  Seneca  country,  where  they  are 
today.  But  on  their  way  north  Tuscarora  bands 
scattered  widely  in  Pennsylvania,  as  the  name 
“Tuscarora”  on  creeks  and  hills  attests,  and 
stayed  for  considerable  periods  at  places  they 
liked. 

Numbers  of  them  came  up  the  Shenandoah 
Valley  past  Staunton,  Woodstock,  Winchester, 
and  Martinsburg  to  cross  the  Potomac  at  Cherry 
Run.  I hence,  following  the  Warm  Spring  Path, 


they  crossed  the  Little  Conococheague  east  of 
Johnson  Mountain  in  Maryland  and  passed  into 
Pennsylvania  at  the  foot  of  Kaisies  Knob. 

Once  inside  Pennsylvania,  the  Tuscarora  Path 
ran  north  to  Mercersburg  and  the  present  town 
of  Fort  Loudon,  there  entering  what  is  now 
known  as  Path  Valley.  At  Fort  Loudon  it  joined 
the  Raystown  Path  and  ran  with  it  for  several 
miles.  Passing  Richmond  Furnace,  where  the 
Raystown  Path  broke  off,  the  Tuscarora  Path 
continued  up  the  valley  of  the  West  Branch 
Conococheague  through  Fannettsburg,  Spring- 
town,  Willow  Hill,  Spring  Run,1  and  Dry  Run 
to  the  height  of  land.  At  Concord  Narrows  it 
passed  north  through  the  gap  in  Tuscarora 
Mountain,  and  bending  eastward  again  ran 
down  the  east  bank  of  Tuscarora  Creek  to  East 
Waterford.  Continuing  northeast,  it  left  for  a 
time  the  winding  creek  and  took  instead  a 
straight  course  past  Honey  Grove,  Reed’s  School, 
and  Path.  It  touched  Tuscarora  Creek  again  at 
Seven  Pines  (opposite  the  site  of  an  old  Indian 
settlement)  , and  went  on  past  the  Limestone 
Ridge,  Church  Hill  School,  and  Old  Fort  School 
to  cross  the  Juniata  River  at  Port  Royal,  the  ford 
being  just  below  the  mouth  of  Tuscarora  Creek. 

Having  crossed  the  Juniata,  it  ran  north  past 
the  site  of  the  Glebe  Church  to  Cedar  Spring. 
There  it  turned  northeast  and  for  nearly  five 
miles  hugged  the  slopes  of  Lost  Creek  Ridge. 
Turning  north  again,  it  followed  the  south  and 
east  bank  of  Little  Lost  Creek  to  McAllisterville, 
Bunkertown,  and  Swales.  There  it  crossed  Co- 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  116 


169 


colamus  Creek  and  followed  its  south  bank,  at 
the  foot  of  Flint  Ridge,  for  about  three  miles. 
Reaching  the  West  Branch  of  Mahantango 
Creek,  the  path  followed  it  (still  keeping  to  the 
lower  slopes  of  Flint  Ridge)  to  the  outskirts  of 
Richfield.  There  it  crossed  the  Mahantango,  ran 
north  for  about  hall  a mile,  and,  turning  east 
again,  passed  the  old  house  known  locally  as 
“Winey’s  spring  house.” 

According  to  Ellis  E.  Ferster  of  Richfield,  in 
Snyder  County,2  it  was  about  here  that  a branch 


Willow  Hill  • 

o 


BurntCabins  Springtown 

• * ° • O * Upper  Strasburg 

^To  Roystown  #/Fannetts-  O , 

burg 


To  Paxtang 


. • O Shippensburg 


CyRichmond  Furnace 


• yort  Loudon  • 


os 

O MERCERSBURG 


•/t,  KASIES  KNOB 


J Tot 


PENNA. 

MD. 


he  Tuscororo  country 


of  the  Tuscarora  Path  (one  that  had  turned  east 
at  the  Juniata  ford,  had  run  along  the  north 
bank  to  Thompsontown,  and  had  struck  north 
over  the  hills  to  the  Cocolamus  Valley  and  Rich- 
field) rejoined  the  main  path. 

About  two  miles  beyond  Richfield,  the  path 
went  north  through  a gap  in  Limestone  Ridge, 
turned  east  along  the  North  Branch  of  Mahan- 
tango Creek,  and  continued  its  course  past  Free- 
burg  and  Kantz  to  the  Susquehanna  River  at 
Selinsgrove.  Crossing  Penns  Creek,  it  forded  the 
Susquehanna  River  to  the  Indian  town  of  Sha- 
mokin  (Sunbury) . 

From  Shamokin,  the  Tuscaroras  probably  used 
the  Great  Warriors  Path  up  the  North  Branch 
of  the  Susquehanna  to  Wyoming.  From  Wyo- 
ming (Wilkes-Barre)  and  Adjouquay  (Pittston)  , 
some  bands  took  the  Lackawanna  Path  directly 
to  Apple  Tree  T own  at  Great  Bend,  while  others 
took  the  canoe  route  (with  its  accompanying 
path  up  the  North  Branch  Valley)  past  Tunk- 
hannock,  Wyalusing,  Wysox,  Tioga  (Athens) , 
and  Owego.3 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  the  National  Road  at  Conococheague, 
Md.  (8  miles  west  of  Hagerstown) , take  Md.  51 


170 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  116-117 


and  Pa.  75  north  through  Mercersburg  and  Fort 
Loudon  all  the  way  to  Port  Royal  and  U.  S.  22. 
Cross  22  and  take  country  roads  (some  of  them 
are  unnumbered,  but  occasional  inquiries  will 
keep  one  headed  in  the  right  direction)  past  the 
old  Glebe  Church  and  Cedar  Spring,  both  on 
the  original  path. 

From  Cedar  Spring  (itself  worth  stopping  to 
see)  , cross  a spur  of  Lost  Creek  Ridge  and  fol- 
low the  northern  slope  of  the  ridge  for  2i/2  miles 
to  meet  L.  R.  31007 . Here  the  modern  road  tem- 
porarily parts  company  with  the  path.  Turn  left 
on  31007  and  follow  it  to  Oakland  Mills.  There 
take  Pa.  35  and  follow  it  east  through  McAllister- 
ville,  Richfield,  and  Freeburg  to  Selinsgrove.  At 
Selinsgrove  take  U.  S.  11  north  to  the  bridge  and 
across  it  to  Sunbury. 

From  Sunbury  and  Northumberland,  U.  S.  11 
follows  the  general  course  taken  by  the  Tusca- 
roras:  over  the  Great  Warriors  Path  to  Pittston 
and  thence  over  the  Lackawanna  Path  to  Apple 


Tree  Town  at  Great  Bend.  If  you  prefer  going 
up  the  beautiful  North  Branch,  as  many  of  the 
Tuscaroras  did,  take  Pa.  92  at  West  Pittston  and 
follow  it  up  the  w'est  bank  of  the  Susquehanna 
to  the  bridge  at  Falls— named  for  Buttermilk 
Falls,  which  is  only  a few  yards  from  the  road 
and  will  well  repay  a visit. 

From  Falls  continue  north  on  Pa.  92  to  Tunk- 
hannock  and  there  take  U.  S.  6.  Follow  it  past 
North  Tow’anda;  then  take  U.  S.  220  to  Athens 
and  Waverly.  At  Waverly  turn  right  (east)  on 
N.  Y.  17  and  follow'  it  through  Chvego,  Endicott, 
and  Johnson  City  to  Binghamton.  There  take 

U.  S.  11  and  follow'  it  south  to  Great  Bend  (Ap- 
ple Tree  Town)  . 

1 The  probable  site  of  "Pyatt’s,”  according  to  Dr.  John 

V.  Miller  of  Dillsburg. 

2‘‘Pomfret  Castle.”  Northumberland  County  Historical 
Society,  Proceedings,  XIII  (1943)  , 102. 

3 See  Br.  Schmick’s  letter  of  October  20,  1766,  in  the 
Bethlehem  Diary  for  November  1,  1766,  Archives  of  the 
Moravian  Church,  Bethlehem,  Pa. 


117.  Venango  Path 

From  Pittsburgh  to  Erie 


The  Venango  Path,  with  its  several  variants, 
ran  from  the  Forks  of  the  Ohio  (Pittsburgh)  , 
through  the  Indian  town  of  Venango  (Frank- 
lin) at  the  mouth  of  French  Creek,  to  Presque 
Isle  (Erie)  . It  was  used  by  white  men  as  an  im- 
portant military  higlnvay  for  over  forty  years: 
from  1753,  when  the  French  constructed  a road 
over  the  portage  from  Presque  Isle  Bay  to  Fort 
Le  Boeuf  at  the  head  of  French  Creek  naviga- 
tion, to  1794,  when  Anthony  Wayne’s  victory  at 
Fallen  Timbers  ended  the  threat  of  Indian  War 
in  this  western  territory. 

On  his  journey  to  Fort  Le  Boeuf  in  1753, 
George  Washington  used  a variant  of  the  Ve- 
nango Path,  going  from  the  Forks  of  the  Ohio 
through  Logstowm  (north  of  Ambridge)  , Har- 
mony, Portersville,  and  West  Liberty.  The  more 
direct  route  from  the  Forks  was  not  always  a 
good  one.  Colonel  Henry  Bouquet,  on  July  4, 
1763,  wrote  from  Carlisle  to  Sir  Jeffery  Amherst: 
“The  Distance  from  F:  Pitt  to  Presqu’  Isle  is 
142  Miles,  thro’  a narrow'  crooked  Path,  difficult 
Creeks,  & several  long  defiles.  . . -”1 


The  best  all-weather  branch  of  the  Venango 
Path  was  the  one  George  Washington  took,  by 
way  of  Logstown.  But,  after  the  British  occupa- 
tion of  the  Forks  and  the  establishment  of  Fort 
Pitt,  a shorter  route  was  preferred,  running 
through  Evans  City  to  Franklin.  This  came  to 
be  accepted  as  “the  Venango  Path,’’  in  time  be- 
coming known  as  the  Franklin  Road. 

The  Venango  Path,  via  Evans  City,  crossed  the 
Allegheny  River  either  by  boat  from  the  Point  or 
by  a ford  at  Shannopin’s  Town,  about  two  miles 
up  the  river  near  the  present  Thirty-First  Street 
Bridge.2  “At  Shanoppens,”  wrote  Lewis  Evans, 
“is  another  [fording  place]  in  very  dry  Times,  and 
the  lowest  down  the  River.”3 

From  this  ford,  the  path  ran  north  and  west 
over  winding  ridges.4  About  half  a mile  south 
of  Pine  Creek,  there  was  a fork,  the  Kuskusky 
Path  running  northwest  while  the  Venango  Path 
continued  nearly  straight  north.  Warrantee  Sur- 
veys D 1-231  and  -232,  dated  1794,  name  the 
tracts  of  land  containing  this  fork,  “Indian  In- 
camping Ground.” 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  117 


171 


The  Venango  Path  crossed  Pine  Creek  at 
Keown.  About  two  miles  north  of  the  creek,  the 
path  came  to  the  “15  Mile  Spring,”5  and  then 
ran  on  through  Wexford.  It  crossed  Brush  Creek 
in  the  vicinity  of  Warrendale,  and  went  on 
through  Hendersonville  to  Evans  City,  where  it 
forded  Breakneck  Creek.  It  crossed  Connoque- 
nessing  Creek  half  a mile  north  of  Wahlville  and 
the  Little  Connoquenessing  another  mile  to  the 
north-northeast.  Thence  it  ran  almost  straight 
north  along  a convenient  ridge  through  Whites- 
town  and  Prospect  (at  this  point  the  path  being 
about  fifty  yards  east  of  the  present  road)  to  the 
crossing  of  Muddy  Creek  at  Isle. 

Exactly  where  the  Venango  Path  crossed  Slip- 
pery Rock  Creek  is  a matter  of  debate.  If  all  local 
traditions  are  to  be  believed,  there  was  a multi- 
tude of  fords  about  here:  At  Croll’s  Mills,  at 
Dougherty’s  Mills  (where  the  flat,  sloping,  slime- 
covered  rocks  may  have  given  the  Creek  its 
name)  ,6  down  Croll’s  Ridge  to  the  Pines,  at 
“Washington’s  Crossing,”  at  the  mouth  of  Glade 
Run,  at  “the  Slippery  Rock  Ford”  on  the  Wads- 
worth Farm,  and  at  Keisters  Mills.  All  these  pos- 
sible variants  of  the  path  come  together  again  at 
Forestville  or  sooner. 

From  Forestville  the  Venango  Path  continued 
north  through  Harrisville,  Barkeyville,  and  Wes- 
ley to  Springville,  following  a route  now  taken 
by  the  Pittsburgh  Road,  Pa.  8.  At  Mays  Mills, 
a mile  and  a half  northeast  of  Springville,  after 
crossing  Sandy  Creek,  the  path  seems  to  have 
forked  again.  There  is  evidence  that  one  branch 
went  over  Congress  Hill  and  Bully  Hill,  descend- 
ing to  the  Allegheny  at  the  point  where  the 
French  Fort  Machault  was  built,  half-a-mile 
below  the  mouth  of  French  Creek.  The  other 
branch  crossed  the  hills  in  the  vicinity  of  Union- 
town  and  descended  Gurney  Hill  to  the  Indian 
town  of  Venango  at  the  mouth  of  French  Creek 
in  present  Franklin,  opposite  the  Point. 

The  Venango  Path  forded  French  Creek  just 
above  the  present  Thirteenth  Street  Bridge  and 
swung  west  for  about  a mile  along  the  Hats,  by 
way  of  what  is  now  Pacific  Street.  At  Missouri 
Street  or  near  it,  the  path  turned  north  and,  in 
order  to  avoid  the  cliff  that  hugs  French  Creek, 
climbed  over  the  shoulder  of  Oak  Hill.  Coming 
down  on  the  far  side,  it  forded  Patchel  Run 


VENANGO  PATH,  SOUTH 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  117 


about  half  a mile  from  its  mouth.  From  there 
it  ran  a northwest  course  (the  old  Waterford 
and  Susquehanna  Turnpike  following  it)  for  a 
mile  and  a half,  and  then  probably  swung  west 
to  cross  Sugar  Creek  at  the  mouth  of  Warden 
Run.  Continuing  in  a westerly  direction,  it 
ascended  Buttermilk  Hill,  then  veered  northwest 
to  follow  a dry  ridge  above  the  marsh  beside 
Warden  Run.  It  came  dowm  to  French  Creek  at 
Carlton,  turned  northwest  again  to  Cochran- 
ton  and  followed  the  creek  to  Cussewago 
(Meadville)  . 

From  Cochranton  to  Meadville  there  was  also 
an  “upper  path”  by  way  of  the  ridge  flanking 
French  Creek  a mile  or  so  to  the  east. 

Between  Cussewago  and  the  French  forts  at 
Le  Boeuf  and  Presque  Isle,  there  were  several 
paths  to  choose  from.  The  one  most  commonly 
used  by  the  French  crossed  French  Creek  at  the 
Broad  Ford,  two  miles  north  of  Sagerstown,  and 
from  there  ran  up  the  west  side  of  the  creek 
through  the  present  towns  of  Venango,  Cam- 
bridge Springs,  and  Indian  Head  to  Fort  Le 
Boeuf. 

Other  paths  from  Cussewago  kept  east  of 
French  Creek  until  past  Cambridge  Springs. 
The  one  most  frequently  used  by  the  English 
struck  across  country  about  as  Pa.  86  does.  East 
of  Cambridge  Springs  (possibly  at  the  sand  bar 
a few  hundred  yards  above  the  Erie  Railroad 
bridge,  or  as  far  east  as  the  mouth  of  Mohawk 
Run)  the  path  forded  French  Creek  and  picked 
up  the  path  to  Indian  Head  near  the  west  bank. 
George  Washington,  attempting  this  ford  during 
a wintry  flood  in  1753,  found  it  impassable  and 
had  to  go  round  another  way— probably  through 
Little  Cooley— eight  miles  farther  east.7 

Between  Fort  Le  Boeuf  and  Presque  Isle  there 
was  a portage  path  which  the  French  widened 
in  1753  into  a military  road.  Since,  however,  it 
ran  over  flat,  soft  ground— soon  churned  up  by 
the  horses  into  heavy  mud— its  course  shifted 
slowly  from  season  to  season  over  a mile-wide 
area.  Mrs.  Autumn  L.  Leonard,  in  “The  Presque 
Isle  Portage  and  the  Venango  Trail,”  has  mapped 
and  described  its  normal  course.8 

Leaving  Fort  Le  Boeuf,  the  portage  road  ran 
north  along  what  are  now  High  Street,  First  Al- 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  117 


173 


ley,  and  Cherry  Street  in  Waterford.  For  some 
distance  beyond,  it  ran  parallel  to  and  a little 
west  of  U.  S.  19.  At  Strongs  Corners  (about 
three  and  a half  miles  from  Waterford)  it  crossed 
19.  About  two  miles  farther  on  it  joined  course 
with  the  modern  Shunpike  Road  and  the  two 
ran  together  to  Mill  Creek.  Making  a loop  to 
the  west,  it  descended  about  200  feet  into  the 
gorge,  climbing  out  again  to  meet  a highway  still 
known  as  the  Old  French  Road.  In  about  a mile 
and  a half  the  Old  French  Road  merges  into 
Parade  Street,  which  runs  as  the  path  did  to  near 
the  mouth  of  Mill  Creek  on  Presque  Isle  Bay. 
There,  on  a slight  eminence  between  Parade 
Street  (at  Sobiesky  Street)  and  Mill  Creek  stood 
Fort  Presque  Isle. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

Modern  roads  follow  the  Venango  Path  fairly 
closely  most  of  the  way,  but  no  good  road  fol- 
lows it  for  the  first  few  miles  west  of  the  ford  at 
Shannopin’s  Town.  The  motorist  is  advised, 
therefore,  to  take  U.  S.  19  from  the  Golden  Tri- 
angle in  Pittsburgh  across  the  Allegheny  and  to 
follow  it  to  Perrysville  (where  you  are  on  the  old 
path  again) , Highland,  and  Wexford  to  the  cross- 
ing of  Brush  Creek  at  Warrendale.  Here  path 
and  road  separate  for  a time.  The  path  goes 
across  fields  while  the  road  parallels  it— from  a 
distance  of  3^  tnile  to  the  west— for  about  3i/2 
miles  to  Ogle. 

Just  north  of  Ogle,  turn  right  on  Pa.  528  and 
follow  it  east  for  a mile,  when  it  swings  north 
into  the  Venango  Path— now  known  as  the  old 
Franklin  Road.  Follow  528  through  Evans  City, 
Wahlville,  Whitestown,  and  Prospect  to  the 
crossing  of  Muddy  Creek  at  Isle.  About  5 miles 
north  of  Muddy  Creek,  bear  left  on  Pa.  8,  and 
follow  it  through  Forestville,  Harrisville,  Bark- 
leyville,  Wesley,  and  Springville  to  Franklin. 

At  Franklin,  cross  French  Creek  by  the  Thir- 
teenth Street  Bridge  and  turn  left  on  U.  S.  322. 
Since  there  is  no  road  over  the  brow  of  Oak  Hill, 
the  motorist  will  do  well  to  continue  on  322  to 
Meadville.  If  he  wishes,  however,  to  follow  the 
old  path  more  closely,  he  will  at  Wyattville  turn 
sharp  left  by  the  bridge  over  Sugar  Creek  and 
go  down  the  west  bank  for  about  a mile  to 
Warden  Run.  Cross  it  and  keep  on  the  same 


road,  turning  first  west  and  in  a few  yards  south, 
to  climb  Buttermilk  Hill— but  do  not  attempt  it 
in  wet  weather.  Coming  to  a T near  the  sum- 
mit, turn  right.  In  about  a mile  this  road  crosses 
the  Venango  Path  and  in  another  2 miles  merges 
with  it.  Road  and  path  continue  together  to 
Carlton,  from  which  point  322  follows  the  old 
path  rather  closely  to  Meadville. 

At  Meadville,  the  motorist  has  a choice  of 
roads.  He  can  take  U.  S.  19  and  6 north  to 
Saegerstown,  the  Broad  Ford  Bridge,  and  pres- 
ent Venango  to  Cambridge  Springs;  or  he  can 
take  Pa.  86,  which  will  bring  him  by  a more  di- 
rect way— following  the  general  course  of  George 
Washington’s  path— to  Cambridge  Springs. 

From  there  follow  U.  S.  19  to  Waterford, 
where  you  will  want  to  visit  the  Fort  Le  Boeuf 
Memorial.  About  a mile  beyond  Waterford, 
bear  right  on  Pa.  97 , which  follow's  the  path 
fairly  closely  and,  as  it  approaches  the  city  of 
Erie,  becomes— in  name  as  well  as  in  course— the 
Old  French  Road.  In  the  outskirts  of  the  city, 
bear  left  on  Parade  Street  and  follow  it  to 
Sobieski  Street.  There,  ahead  of  you  on  the 
right,  is  the  site  of  Fort  Presque  Isle. 

1 The  Papers  of  Col.  Henry  Bouquet,  Sylvester  K.  Stevens 
and  Donald  H.  Kent,  eds.  (Harrisburg,  1940—) , Series 
21034,  p.  215. 

2C.  W.  W.  Elkin,  “T  he  Indian  Trails  of  Southwestern 
Pennsylvania,"  Pennsylvania  Archaeologist,  X,  No.  2 
(April,  1940)  , 37. 

3.  . . Analysis  of  a General  Map  of  the  Middle  British 
Colonies  in  America  (Philadelphia,  1755)  , 25.  Reprinted 
in  Lawrence  Henry  Gipson’s  Lewis  Evans  (Philadelphia, 
1939),  Part  III. 

* See  map  of  Depreciation  Lands,  Bureau  of  Land 
Records,  Harrisburg. 

5 Warrantee  Survey  C 142-182. 

8 The  late  Oliver  Ralston  of  Slippery  Rock  Park,  when 
interviewed  by  the  present  writer,  April  7,  1954,  had 
this  to  say  about  the  origin  of  the  name:  "Slippery  Rock 
got  its  name  from  the  slippery  rock  ford.  It  is  like  that 
at  Dougherty’s  Mill  and  also  at  most  of  these  riffles.” 
John  Heckewelder,  Moravian  missionary,  said  that  the 
Delaware  name  for  the  stream  was  Weshachachapohka, 
which  he  translated  “slippery  rock.”  In  Hector  St.  John 
Crevecoeur’s  “Map  of  the  Big  Beaver"  (1787)  , Slippery 
Rock  Creek  is  called  R [iviere]  de  la  Piere  Platte"  (Plat 
Rock  River).  See  Hanna,  The  Wilderness  Trail,  II.  386. 
At  Dougherty’s  Mill  the  writer  has  seen  boys  in  summer 
sliding  down  the  slippery  rocks  near  the  surface  and 
diving  into  the  deep  pool  below. 

7 Paul  A.  W.  Wallace,  “George  Washington’s  Route  from 
Venango  to  Port  Le  Boeuf,  1753,”  Pennsylvania  History, 
XXVIII,  No.  4 (October,  1961)  . 

8 Pennsylvania  Archaeologist,  XV,  No.  1 (April,  1945), 
4-9. 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  118 


118.  Venango  - Cliinklacamoose  Path 

From  Clearfield  to  Franklin 


The  path  from  Chinklacamoose  to  Venango 
was  a branch  of  the  Great  Shamokin  Path.  It 
left  the  main  path  at  the  Big  Spring  near 
Luthersburg  and  ran  through  Brookville  to 
Venango  (Franklin)  . 

From  “the  Parting  of  the  Ways”  at  the  Big 
Spring  it  ran  northwest  through  Eriton  and  West 
Liberty  (near  Du  Bois)  , and  past  the  old  Steele 
School  to  cross  Sandy  Lick  Creek  at  Sandy  Val- 
ley Post  Office  (Sherwood  Station)  d It  ran  up 
the  west  bank  of  Panther  Run  for  a mile,  crossed 
it  and  turned  west  past  Snyder  School  and  Em- 
rickville  to  Brookville.  It  forded  Redbank  Creek 
at  the  mouth  of  Sandy  Lick  Creek  and  crossed 
the  North  Fork  just  above  its  mouth. 

Continuing  west  it  passed  through  Roseville, 
Corsica,  and  Strattonville.  About  half  a mile 
west  of  Strattonville,  it  turned  north  and  forded 
the  Clarion  River  at  Clew’s  Riffle.2  Thence  it 
proceeded  by  the  Shiloh  (Miola)  Church  to 
near  Helen  Furnace,  then  northwest  by  way  of 
Lucinda  and  Fryburg,  and  west  through  Saw- 
town,  Tenmile  Bottom,  and  Seneca  to  Venango. 

This  was  the  path  taken  by  Christian  Fred- 
erick Post  in  August,  1758. 3 He  returned  by  way 
of  Punxsutawney,  which  he  reached  on  Septem- 
ber 13. 

The  Susquehanna  and  Waterford  Turnpike 


followed  the  same  general  route.  After  the  com- 
pletion of  the  road  in  1824,  according  to  the  late 
Major  M.  I.  McCreight  of  Du  Bois,  “the  path 
was  changed  to  run  from  West  Liberty  over  the 
hills  to  Sandy  Creek.  It  was  a toll-road  and  soon 
became  the  greatest  Cattle  Trail  in  all  the  East. 
I recall  seeing  droves  of  cattle  crowding  each 
other  during  all  day  long.”4 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  Clearfield  take  U.  S.  322  through  Cur- 
wensville  to  Luthersburg.  Continue  on  322 
through  Reynoldsville  and  Brookville  to  Strat- 
tanville.  Since  no  road  follows  the  old  path 
across  the  Clarion  River  at  Clew’s  Riffle,  the 
motorist  is  advised  to  continue  on  322  to  Clarion. 
In  the  center  of  the  town,  turn  right  (north) 
on  Pa.  966  and  follow  it  for  about  7 miles  to  the 
junction  with  L.  R.  16090.  Follow  this  to  the 
junction  with  Pa.  68.  Turn  left  on  68  and  in  a 
few  hundred  yards  turn  right  (west)  and  fol- 
low a township  road  for  about  a mile  past  Lu- 
cinda. Turn  right  (northwest)  on  L.  R.  16030 
and  follow  it  to  Fryburg  where  it  merges  in  Pa. 
137.  Follow  137  for  about  2 miles  and  turn  left 
on  L.  R.  60027  for  Goodman’s  Corners.  At  the 
triple  road  junction  in  Goodman’s  Corners  take 
the  middle  road  for  Sawtown,  Tenmile  Bottom, 
Seneca  P.  O.,  and  Franklin. 


VENANGO-CHINKLACAMOOSE  PATH 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  118-119 


175 


1 This  part  of  the  path  has  been  studied  closely  by  the 
late  Major  M.  1.  McCreight  of  Du  Bois. 

2 Merle  B.  Eberlin,  Archivist  of  the  Clarion  County 
Historical  Society,  is  the  authority  on  this  ford  and  on 
the  old  trail’s  course  through  Clarion  County. 

3 According  to  Post’s  original  notes  (in  two  languages, 
German  and  Post’s  English) , he  used  the  name  Wescha- 


chichaque  or  Weschakaque  as  an  alternate  name  for 
Tobese,  i.e.,  the  Clarion  River.  Later  editors  separated 
these  names,  assuming  they  belonged  to  different  rivers, 
and  had  him  crossing  them  on  different  days.  This  has 
made  hash  of  his  itinerary.  See  the  original  notes  in  the 
Archives  of  the  Moravian  Church  at  Bethlehem. 

4  Address  delivered  before  the  Du  Bois  Chapter  of  the 
Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution,  September,  1952. 


119.  Venango - Conewango  Path 

From  Franklin  to  Warren 


In  good  weather  there  was  a tolerable  path 
along  the  bank  of  the  Allegheny  River  from 
Venango  (Franklin)  to  Conewango  (Warren) . 

General  William  Irvine  traveled  it  while  ex- 
ploring the  Donation  Lands  in  the  summer  of 
1785.  His  report  to  the  Supreme  Executive 
Council  of  Pennsylvania,  while  faulty  in  esti- 
mating distances,  nevertheless  gives  a good  ac- 
count of  conditions  found  along  the  way.  The 
first  eight  miles,  from  Venango  to  Oil  Creek, 
caused  no  trouble,  but  after  that  the  way  was 
difficult. 

From  Oil  Creek  to  Cuskakushing,1  an 
old  Indian  Town,  is  about  seventeen 
miles— the  whole  of  this  way  is  barren, 
high  mountains,  not  fit  for  cultivation; 
the  mountain  presses  so  close  on  the  River 
that  it  is  almost  impassable,  and  by  no 
means  impracticable  [practicable]  when 
the  River  is  high,  then  travellers  either  on 
loot  or  horseback  are  obliged  to  ascend  the 
mountain  and  proceed  along  the  summit. 

At  Cuskushing  there  is  a narrow  bottom 
about  two  miles  long,  good  land,  and  a 
very  fine  Island  fifty  or  sixty  acres,  where 
the  Indians  formerly  planted  corn.  From 
Cuskushing  to  another  old  Indian  Town, 
also  on  the  Bank  of  the  River,  is  about 
six  miles;  this  place  is  called  Canenacai, 
or  Hickory  Bottom;  here  is  a few  hundred 
acres  of  good  land  and  some  small  Islands, 
from  hence  to  a place  named  by  the  na- 
tives the  Burying  Ground  [Tidioute], 
from  a tradition  they  have  that  some  ex- 
traordinary man  was  buried  there  many 
hundred  years  ago,  is  about  thirteen  miles; 
most  of  this  way  is  also  a barren  and  very 
high  mountain,  and  you  have  to  travel 
greatest  part  of  the  way  in  the  Bed  of  the 
River.  To  Brokenstraw  Creek,  or  Bocka- 
loons,  from  the  last  named  place  is  about 
fourteen  miles,  here  the  hills  are  not  so 
high  or  barren,  and  there  are  sundry  good 


bottoms  along  the  River.  About  half  way 
there  is  a hill  called  by  the  Indians  Paint 
Hill,  where  they  find  very  good  red 
oker.  . . . From  Brokenstraw  to  Canewago 
is  eight  or  nine  miles— here  is  a narrow 
bottom,  interspersed  with  good  dry  land 
and  meadow  Ground  all  the  way,  and 
there  is  a remarkable  fine  tract  at  the 
mouth  of  Conewago,  of  a thousand  or  per- 
haps more  acres,  from  the  whole  of  which 
you  command  a view  up  and  down  the 
main  branch  of  Alleghany,  and  also  up 
Conewagoo  a considerable  distance.  Cone- 
wagoo  is  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards  wide, 
and  is  navigable  for  large  boats  up  to  the 
head  of  Jadaque  [Chautauqua]  Lake, 
which  is  upwards  of  fifty  miles  from  its 
junction  with  the  east  branch  of  the 
River.  The  head  [of]  Jadaque  Lake  is  said 
to  be  only  twelve  miles  from  Lake  Erie, 
where  it  is  also  said  the  French  formerly 
had  a Fort,  and  a good  Waggon  Road  from 
it  to  the  Lake.  . . . 

...  I returned  the  most  direct  Road  to 
the  burying  Ground— here  three  old  In- 
dian paths  take  off,  one  to  Cayahaga,  on 
Lake  Erie,  one  to  Cuskusky,  on  the  west 
branch  of  Beaver  Creek,  and  the  third  to 
a Salt  spring,  higher  up  the  same  branch 
of  Beaver.  . . .2 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

Except  for  a short  stretch  between  Oil  City 
and  President,  Pa.  62  follows  the  Allegheny  River 
all  the  way  from  Franklin  to  Warren,  passing 
through  Tionesta  (at  or  near  the  site  of  Lower 
Goschgoschink)  , West  Hickory  (Goschgoschink 
Upper  Town)  , Tidioute,  and  Irvine  (Bucka- 
loons)  at  the  mouth  of  what  is  still  known  as 
Brokenstraw  Creek. 

1 This  is  the  name  spelled  Goschgoschink  in  the  Mora- 
vian records. 

-Pennsylvania  Archives,  First  Series,  XI,  516-18. 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  120 


1 7fi 


120.  Venanzo - Kittanninp ' Path 

o o 

From  Kittanning  to  Franklin 


That  there  was  an  Indian  path  from  Kittan- 
ning to  Venango  (Franklin)  is  accepted,  but 
there  is  no  agreement  as  to  the  precise  course  it 
took.  Perhaps  there  were  several  variants.  One 
tradition  holds  that  the  path  ran  from  Kittan- 
ning through  Rimersburg  to  Bullocks  Ford  on 
the  Clarion  River  near  Callensburg.  Another 
tradition  is  that  it  ran  through  Fish  Basket  (at 
Oak  Ridge,  near  New  Bethlehem)  at  the  mouth 
of  Town  Run  on  Redbank  Creek,  and  crossed 
the  Clarion  River  at  Bullocks  Ford.  Others 
think  it  crossed  at  Canoe  Ripple,  or  at  Piney. 
Whichever  ford  was  used,  the  path  ran  north 
from  the  Clarion  to  the  vicinity  of  Van,  where 
it  joined  the  path  from  Frankstown  to  Venango. 

According  to  tradition,  Colonel  Daniel  Brocl- 
heacl  used  this  path  on  his  expedition  against 
the  Seneca  Indians  in  1779.  On  his  way  north, 
he  is  said  to  have  crossed  the  Clarion  River  at 
Piney.  To  this  tradition,  howrever,  Merle  B. 
Eberlin,  archivist  and  curator  of  the  Clarion 
County  Historical  Society,  takes  exception: 

. . . For  his  crossing  of  the  Clarion  on  the 
trip  north,  the  hills  in  the  vicinity  of 
Piney  are  high  and  very  steep.  Brodhead 
could  have  crossed  at  Canoe  Ripple  much 
easier,  I believe,  inasmuch  as  the  hills  are 
only  about  half  as  high  and  not  so  steep. 
This  would  be  about  three  miles  south- 
west of  Piney  and  not  too  much  off  his 
direct  route.  The  Ripple  is  a natural 
ford.  There  may  have  been  other  good 
crossings  between  the  two  points.1 

The  route  of  Brodhead’s  return  is  much  in 
question.  His  own  bare  statement,  “On  my  re- 
turn I preferred  the  Venango  Road,”  invites  a 
wide  margin  of  conjecture.  He  probably  came, 
at  least  part  way,  by  the  Venango-Conewango 
Path.  But  it  is  impossible  to  determine  from 
his  own  statement  whether  he  came  from  Frank- 
lin over  the  familiar  Venango  Path  through 
Butler  County  to  Pittsburgh,  or  whether  he 
came  south  through  Clarion  County. 

The  former  view  is  held  by  William  Young 
Brady  in  “Brodhead’s  Frail  up  the  Allegheny, 
1779”;2  the  latter,  by  Aaron  }.  Davis,  who  writes 
in  his  History  of  Clarion  County: 


. . . He  returned  by  way  of  French  Creek, 
where  he  ravaged  another  town.  At  the 
mouth  of  that  stream  the  army  crossed  the 
Allegheny  and  took  “the  old  Venango 
Road,”  which  led  them  through  Clarion 
County.  They  crossed  the  Clarion  at 
Bullock’s  Ford,  near  Callensburg,  so 
named  from  the  circumstance  of  the  cat- 
tle being  driven  over  the  river  there,  then, 
and  during  the  War  of  1812.  At  Bullock’s 
Ford  a soldier  died  and  was  buried  on  the 
river’s  bank.3 

To  this  last  incident,  Mr.  Eberlin  contributes 
some  further  detail: 

. . . Quite  some  time  ago,  Mr.  Henry 
Tippery  of  Callensburg  (now  92  years 
old)  told  me  that  when  the  soldier  was 
buried  at  Bullock's  Ford,  the  cattle  were 
driven  over  the  grave  to  hide  it  from  the 
Indians.  He  also  told  me  that  it  was  here 
that  the  soldiers  “butchered  cattle  for 
meat.” 

In  describing  the  normal  course  of  the  path 
(from  south  to  north  across  Clarion  County)  , 
Captain  Davis  writes: 

The  Venango  trail  passed  the  county 
line  in  northwestern  Salem  township; 
crossed  the  river  at  Bullock’s  Ford,  near 
Callensburg,  and  then  striking  southeast- 
erly crossed  the  Redbank  at  the  mouth  of 
Town  Run  [Fish  Basket].  This  was  the 
route  taken  by  Brodhead  on  his  return.4 

With  the  last  statement,  Mr.  Eberlin  dis- 
agrees: “Inasmuch  as  Brodhead  returned  to 

Fort  Pitt,  I doubt  if  he  crossed  the  Redbank  at 
Fishbasket.  Probably  he  turned  south  on  his  re- 
turn trip  when  he  intersected  his  route  north." 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

One  of  the  several  possible  ways  of  seeing  the 
general  course  of  this  path  is  to  take  L.  R.  03068 
from  Kittanning  north  across  Mahoning  Creek 
and  about  2 miles  beyond  to  its  junction  with 
L.  R.  03084  at  Widnoon.  Go  left  for  a short  dis- 
tance on  03084  and  then  take  the  first  county 
road,  L.  R.  03082,  to  the  right.  Beyond  Redbank 
Creek,  cross  the  railroad  tracks  and  turn  right 
on  L.  R.  16003  for  Rimersburg. 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  120-121 


177 


From  Rimersburg  go  north  on  Pa.  68  to  its 
junction  with  Pa.  368.  Turn  left  on  368  and 
follow  it  to  Callensburg.  There  turn  right  again 
on  Pa.  178  and  follow  it  for  about  a mile.  Turn 
right  to  follow  L.  R.  16028  to  its  junction  with 
Pa.  338.  Turn  right  and  follow  338  to  Knox. 
Continue  north  on  L.  R.  16016  to  Kossuth. 


There  turn  left  on  U.  S.  322  and  follow  it 
through  Van  to  Franklin  (Venango). 

1 Letter  from  Mr.  Eberlin  to  the  present  writer,  dated 
Clarion,  January  23,  1962. 

2 Western  Pennsylvania  Historical  Magazine,  XXXVII 
(1954)  , 31. 

3 (Syracuse,  N.  Y„  1887),  61-62. 

1 Ibid.,  62. 


121.  Virginia  Path 

From  Harrisburg 


The  Virginia  Path  or  Virginia  Road  (called 
also  the  Potomac  Road  and  sometimes  the  Great 
Trail)  was  an  Indian  path  and  settlers’  road 
that  ran  from  the  Susquehanna  at  Paxtang  (Har- 
risburg) by  way  of  Letort’s  Spring  (Carlisle)  , 


to  Winchester,  Va. 

Dunning’s  Spring  (Mount  Rock)  , and  the  Big 
Spring  to  Shippensburg.  Continuing  southwest, 
it  crossed  Conococheague  Creek  either  at  Scot- 
land or  at  Red  Bridge.  Thence  it  ran  past  the 
Falling  Spring  (Chambersburg)  and  Green- 


To  Kishacoquillas 


^New  Pathto  Frankstown f f ^ 


To  Shamokin 


•••*.  *A\V. 

i • r _ • o r\\* 

To  Conestoga”^ 


.....  o*  G * •*.*  • • . . 

. * . • Mount  Rock  • „ J * . 


To  Frankstown 


To  Raystown 


P ♦ • 


Upper  Strasburg 


Red  Bridge 

FALLING  SPRING 
(Ch  ambersburg_ 

To  Raystown  * • 

Ko  • * 

Fort  Loudon 


•/  * Big  Spring  ^ 


OShippensburg 


Scotland 


O Greencastle 


p WILLIAMSPORT 

k^Agi/Cumberland  Gap 


To  Fal Is  of 


the  Susquehanna 

To  York  an  d 
# Conejohela 


VIRGINIA  PATH 


castle  to  the  Potomac  River,  which  it  forded  at 
Williamsport,  Md.  Passing  through  Winchester, 
Va.,  it  made  its  way  by  a route  now7  followed  by 
U.  S.  11  into  Tennessee.  A western  branch  ran 
up  through  Cumberland  Gap  into  Kentucky. 

In  his  History  of  Cumberland  Valley  in  Penn- 
sylvania, George  P.  Donehoo  w7rites: 

The  “Great  Trail,”  w'hich  ran  from  the 
site  of  Harris’  Ferry  to  the  Potomac,  w7as 
the  most  eastern  war  path  of  the  Iroquois 
into  the  Carolinas  and  was  used  by  the 
warriors  of  the  Confederation  in  their 
expeditions  against  the  Cherokee  and 
Catawba,  and  w7as  likewise  used  by 
these  southern  tribes  in  their  northward 
expeditions.1 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  Harrisburg  U.  S.  11  follows  the  general 
course  of  the  old  path,  passing  within  a few 
miles  of  Cumberland  Gap. 

1 (Harrisburg,  1930)  , I,  35. 


178 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  122-123 


122.  Walnut  Bottom  Path 

From  Carlisle  to  Shippensburg 

The  Walnut  Bottom  Path,  a branch  of  the 
Virginia  Path,  ran  through  Mooredale  and  Wal- 
nut Bottom,  while  the  other  took  a more  west- 
erly way  through  Mount  Rock. 

There  is  some  evidence  that  the  Walnut  Bot- 
tom Path  was  at  one  time  the  main  stem  of  the 
Virginia  Path.  One  of  the  Blunston  licenses 
reads  as  follows:  “At  the  Walnut  Bottom  on 

the  road  from  Pextan  to  Potowmac  about  two 
miles  from  Robert  Dunning  [Mount  Rock].”1 
There  is  a tradition  among  the  descendants  of 
Joseph  Chambers  that  when  he  first  went  to  the 
Falling  Spring  (Chambersburg)  he  took  the  Wal- 
nut Bottom  Path. 

The  path  left  Carlisle  about  where  the  Law 
School  is  now,  and  ran  southwest  through  Moore- 
dale, Cumminsville,  Dickinson,  and  Houckers- 
ville  to  a crossing  of  Yellow  Breeches  Creek  near 
Walnut  Bottom.  Thence  it  proceeded  through 

12.3.  Wapwallopen  Path 

From  Wapwallopen  to  Wilkes-Barre 

Little  Wapwallopen  Creek  and  over  Penobscot 
Mountain  to  Nanticoke.  From  Nanticoke  a good 
path  led  to  Wyoming. 

In  recorded  times,  this  was  a “blind”  path, 
overgrown  and  difficult  to  follow.  Bernhard 
Adam  Grube  and  Godfrey  Rundt,  Moravian 
missionaries  who  traveled  it  in  1754,  left  a 
description  of  it  in  their  diary: 

July  23.— Started  early  [from  Gnaden- 
hiitten  on  the  Lehigh]  and  reached  Wap- 
wallopen. It  rained  hard  and  w^e  were 
drenched,  so  we  passed  Wapwallopen  and 
spent  the  night  near  the  Susquehanna, 
where  we  made  ourselves  quite  comforta- 
ble. 

July  24.— We  went  up  the  Susquehanna 
to  Thomas  Lehmann,  an  Indian  acquaint- 
ance. He  gave  us  milk  and  was  very 
friendly.  He  told  us  of  a nearer  route  to 
Wyoming,  this  side  of  the  Susquehanna, 
which  led  over  the  mountains.  It  consisted 
of  a narrow  foot-path  which  disappeared 


One  of  the  many  ways  to  reach  Wyoming 
(Wilkes-Barre)  from  Bethlehem  or  Gnadenhiitten 
was  to  take  the  Nescopeck  Path  as  far  as  Briggs- 
ville  in  Nescopeck  Township,  Luzerne  County, 
and  from  there  go  north  to  Wapwallopen.  From 
Wapwallopen  a hill  path  led  up  the  valley  of 


New  Lancaster  and  Lees  Crossroads  to  Shippens- 
burg, where  it  joined  the  other  branch. 

See  also  the  Virginia  Path. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  Carlisle  take  Pa.  465  to  Mooredale,  then 
Pa.  174  to  Shippensburg. 

'Blunston  License  Book,  July  31,  1734,  to  Arthur  Irwin, 
Bureau  of  Land  Records,  Harrisburg. 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  123-124 


after  awhile.  We  had  to  determine  our 
course  by  notched  trees;  but  these  became 
scarce  and  soon  none  remained.  We  turned 
to  the  left  towards  a mountain  from  which, 
to  our  great  surprise,  we  could  overlook 
the  plain.  We  pushed  our  way  through  the 
lorest  with  much  difficulty. 

Came  to  the  Susquehanna  where  we  had 
to  cross  a swampy  creek;  and  then,  travers- 
ing a plain  this  side  of  the  river,  we  arrived 
at  a former  Nanticoke  town.  We  followed 
a foot-path  to  the  right,  and  were  soon  met 
by  Joachim,  Simon  and  another  Indian, 
who  greeted  us  in  a friendly  manner,  and 
showed  us  a fallen  tree  on  which  to  cross 
the  creek.  Towards  evening  we  arrived  at 
several  plantations  along  the  Susquehan- 
na, where  we  found  the  aged  Moses  and 
his  wife,  and  several  sisters  hoeing  corn. 
They  came  and  shook  hands  and  greeted 
us.  Then  Moses  took  us  across  the  Susque- 
hanna to  a Shawanese  town.1 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

This  route  can  be  followed  over  Penobscot 
Mountain  to  Wilkes-Barre  (Wyoming)  by  tak- 
ing Pa.  29  north  from  Wapwallopen  to  the 
mouth  of  Little  Wapwallopen  Creek  and  then 
turning  right  on  L.  R.  40026  to  Slocum  Corners. 
Turn  left  on  L.  R.  40022,  then  right  on  40120 
to  Follstown.  Turn  left  on  L.  R.  40034,  follow  it 
to  a T at  Sheatown,  and  there  turn  right  on 
L.  R.  40033  for  Wilkes-Barre. 

1 "Diary  of  a journey  made  by  the  Brethren  Grube  and 
Rundt  to  Wajomik  1754,"  Wyoming  Historical  and  Geo- 
logical Society,  Proceedings,  VIII  (1902-1903)  , 172-73. 

124.  Warm  Spring  Path 

From  Mercersburg  to  Berkeley  Springs,  Va. 

The  Warm  Spring  Path  was  a branch  of  the 
Tuscarora  Path.  Going  south  out  of  Mercersburg 
in  Franklin  County,  it  bore  west  of  the  Tus- 
carora Path.  In  about  four  miles  it  passed  a 
lane  on  the  left  leading  to  the  house  known 
locally  as  Fort  Marshall.  T hence  it  ran  between 
Two  Top  Mountain  and  Claylick  Mountain  into 
Blair  Valley  and  so  on  into  Maryland.  At  Union 
Bethel  Church,  which  is  about  five  and  a half 
miles  south  of  Fort  Marshall,  it  turned  west 
through  Stone  Cabin  Gap—  a landmark  which  is 
also  known  as  Stony  Gap,  Hanging  Rock  Gap, 
and  Polecat  Hollow. 

After  following  Lanes  Run  (which  heads  on 
the  slopes  of  Two  Top  Mountain)  for  about  a 


mile  and  three-quarters,  it  turned  southwest 
over  the  hills  to  Indian  Springs.  Thence  it  ran 
along  the  north  bank  of  the  Potomac  River  to 
the  vicinity  of  Hancock,  where  there  was  a good 
ford.  About  six  miles  south  of  Hancock  it  came 
to  the  Warm  Spring  (Berkeley  Springs)  . 

Tradition  has  it  that  the  Warm  Spring,  which 
maintains  a temperature  of  seventy-four  degrees, 
summer  and  winter,  was  visited  by  Indians  from 
north  and  south.  Some  came  for  its  reputed 
medical  properties.  Others  came  because  it  was 
a convenient  site  for  intertribal  conferences.  It 
is  said  that  its  waters,  in  the  words  of  Dr.  B. 
Franklin  Royer  of  Greencastle,1  were  “held  so 
sacred  by  the  Indians  that  no  blood  was  ever 
shed  in  their  vicinity.” 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  Mercersburg  take  Pa.  75,  which  runs 
parallel  to,  but  a little  to  the  east  of,  the  path  as 
far  as  Shimpstown.  There  turn  right  on  a town- 
ship road  and  go  southwest  for  about  13^  miles. 
Immediately  after  crossing  Licking  Creek,  take 
the  left  fork  south.  In  14  mile,  a lane  bears  left 
to  Fort  Marshall. 

Continue  south  past  the  Fort  Marshall  lane 
for  about  5^4  miles  through  Blair  Valley.  Then 
turn  right  through  Stone  Cabin  (Stony)  Gap 
and  follow  the  road  to  Indian  Springs.  Turn 
right  on  the  National  Road  (U . S.  40)  for  Han- 
cock, and  there  take  U.  S.  522  south  for  Berkeley 
Springs. 

'Letter  to  the  present  writer,  June  29,  1952. 


WARM  SPRING  PATH 


180 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  125 


125.  Warriors  Paths  to  the  Potomac 


In  colonial  days,  white  men  were  inclined  to 
call  any  Indian  path  not  in  common  use  by 
wThite  traders  a “Warriors  Path.”  That  name 
was  sometimes  given  to  the  Catawba  Path,  the 
Catfish  Path,  the  Paxtang  Path,  the  Tuscarora 
Path,  the  Virginia  Road,  and  the  path  from 
Wyoming  that  crossed  the  West  Branch  of  the 
Susquehanna  at  the  mouth  of  Warrior  Run.  In 
this  last  connection,  it  is  ironical  that  Warrior 
Run  Church,  having  received  its  name  from  the 
stream  which  received  its  name  in  turn  from  the 
path,  should  now  serve  to  commemorate— though 
indirectly— the  warrior  bands  w’ho  passed  this 
way  from  the  Great  Island  to  Wyoming  during 
the  French  and  Indian  War. 

When  Indians  employed  the  term  “Warriors 
Path,”  however,  it  was  usually  with  milder  con- 
notations than  when  white  men  spoke  of  it  and 
with  a better  understanding  of  its  normal  use. 
All  able-bodied  men  were  by  courtesy  called 
“warriors.”  The  meaning  of  the  word  was  not 
limited  to  members  of  a war  party.  So  it  is  that 
historic  records  of  the  so-called  Great  Warriors 
Path  (from  Athens  to  Sunbury)  show  it  to  have 
been  used,  for  the  most  part,  by  peaceful  trav- 
elers, ambassadors  wjth  their  retinue,  and  Indian 
refugees  with  their  women  and  children  seeking 
new’  homes  in  the  north.  The  same  was  true  of 
the  Tuscarora  Path— the  refugee  highway  par 
excellence— although  the  northern  end  of  it  from 
Port  Royal  to  Selinsgrove  is  still  known  as  the 
Warriors  Path. 


Certain  paths  running  south  through  Pennsyl- 
vania to  the  country  of  the  Cataw’bas,  with  whom 
the  Iroquois  were  perpetually  at  war,  w’ere,  in- 
deed, not  infrequently  used  by  war  parties.  Some 
of  these  paths  fanned  out  from  Shamokin  (Sun- 
bury) and  from  the  Great  Island  (Lock  Haven)  , 
thence  following  the  valleys  that  swept  in  a great 
arc  through  Pennsylvania  to  the  Potomac  River. 
In  early  times  the  main  Iroquois  highway  to  the 
south  lay  east  of  the  Allegheny  Mountain;  but, 
after  the  coming  of  white  settlers  who  insisted 
that  their  clearings  pre-empted  the  Indians’  right 
of  way,  the  Warriors  Path  was  pushed  ever  far- 
ther w'est:  from  the  Virginia  Road  to  the  Tus- 
carora Path,  the  Penns  Creek  Path,  and  finally 
the  Catawba  Path  and  its  offshoots  in  Western 
Pennsylvania. 

In  central  Pennsylvania  three  important  paths 
running  south  from  the  Iroquois  country  retain 
the  name  “Warriors  Path.”  They  are:  (A)  the 

Warriors  Path  through  Bloody  Run  (Everett) 
to  Opessah’s  Town  (Oldtown,  Md.);  (B)  the  War- 
riors Path  through  Manns  Choice  to  Cresaptown, 
Md.;  and  (C)  the  Warriors  Path  through  Rays- 
town  (Bedford)  to  Wills  Creek  (Cumberland, 
Md.)  Some  of  the  problems  touching  their  loca- 
tion have  been  most  ably  handled  by  William  B. 
Marye  in  the  Pennsylvania  Archaeologist.1 

1 Warriors  Paths,”  Pennsylvania  Archaeologist,  XIII, 
No.  1 (January  and  April,  1943)  . 4-26;  and  XIV,  No.  1 
(April,  1944)  , 4-22. 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  125 


181 


A.  Warriors  Path:  Through  Bloody  Run 

From  Huntingdon  to  Oldtown,  Md. 


Standing  Stone  (Huntingdon)  was  a trail  cen- 
ter of  some  importance.  Here  the  Frankstown 
Path  intersected  a path  coming  down  from  the 
Great  Island  through  Bald  Eagle's  Nest  and 
continuing  south  as  “the  Warriors  Path"  through 
Bloody  Run  (Everett)  to  what  was  at  one  time 
known  as  Opessah’s  Town  (Oldtown,  Md.)  on 
the  Potomac  River. 

From  Standing  Stone  the  Warriors  Path,  after 
crossing  the  Juniata,  ran  west  for  about  a mile 
and  then  swung  southwest  past  McConnellstown 
and  Marklesburg.  It  ran  on  through  Woodcock 
Valley,  which  is  walled  by  the  Tussey  Mountain 
on  the  west,  to  Shy  Beaver.  It  crossed  Ravers 
Run,  Yellow  Creek,  and  Pipers  Run  to  Tates- 
ville,  and  came  to  Bloody  Run  on  the  Juniata. 

The  origin  of  the  name  Bloody  Run  is  in  some 
doubt.  The  popular  tradition  is  that  during  the 
Indian  wars  the  stream  ran  with  the  blood  of 
white  men.  Joshua  Gilpin,  who  spent  the  night 
of  September  21,  1809,  at  Bloody  Run,  heard 
that  “Bloody  Run  takes  its  name  from  a battle 
fought  between  the  Indians  & the  whites  in 
which  the  latter  were  all  killed.’’1  There  is  no 
historic  evidence  to  support  this  conventional 
tale  of  massacre.  Another  explanation  of  the 
name  comes  from  the  Moravian  missionaries. 
According  to  them,  on  at  least  two  separate  occa- 
sions a reddish  substance  “had  boiled  out  of  the 
earth  [on  the  bank]  lor  several  hours  succes- 
sively,” turning  yellow  after  exposure  to  the  air.2 

At  Bloody  Run,  the  Warriors  Path  crossed  the 
Juniata  and  ran  southwest  through  Black  Valley, 
between  Warrior  Ridge  on  the  east  and  Tussey 
Mountain  on  the  west.  About  six  miles  from  the 
crossing  of  the  Juniata  it  picked  up  Clear  Creek 
and  followed  it  for  about  three  miles  to  near 
its  source.  Then  in  a few  hundred  yards  it  came 
to  the  southward-flowing  Sweet  Root  Creek  and 
followed  its  west  bank  for  four  and  a half  miles. 
Hugging  the  steep  slopes  of  Warrior  Ridge,  it 
ran  five  miles  to  the  mouth  of  Black  Valley 
Gap  (which  it  did  not  enter) , and  for  another 
five  miles  kept  close  to  Iron  Ore  Ridge.  After 


passing  the  mouth  of  Flintstone  Gap  a mile  and 
a half  below  the  Maryland  border,  it  turned 
east  into  Murley’s  Gap,  a mile  south  of  Flintstone 
Gap,3  and  ascended  to  the  summit  of  Warrior 
Ridge  or  Warrior  Mountain.4  Running  along 
the  summit  for  ten  miles  or  more,  it  descended  to 
the  Potomac  at  Oldtown,  where  Colonel  Thomas 
Cresap  had  a trading  post  that  catered  to  (among 
other  persons)  members  of  Iroquois  war  parties. 

It  appears  that  Christopher  Gist  in  1750  trav- 
ersed the  summit  of  Warrior  Mountain.  Under 
date  of  October  31,  he  wrote:  “Set  out  from 

Col°  Thomas  Cresap’s  at  the  Old  Town  on 
Potomack  River  in  Maryland,  and  went  along  an 
old  Indian  Path  N 30  E about  1 1 Miles.”5  It  is 
true  that  the  south  end  of  the  Warrior  Mountain 
lies  about  three  miles  northweM  of  Oldtown. 
But,  once  on  the  ridge,  a traveler  would  take  a 
course  for  a good  ten  miles  that  lay  thirty  degrees 
east  of  north  to  Murley’s  Gap. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  Huntingdon  take  Pa.  26  and  follow  it 
through  McConnellstown  and  Marklesburg. 
About  12  miles  beyond  Marklesburg,  turn  right 
on  L.  R.  05063  and  follow  it  first  west  and  then 
south  until  (shortly  after  crossing  Pa.  26)  it  meets 
L.  R.  05057.  Turn  right  on  05057  and  follow  it 
for  about  2\Z2  miles  to  Cypher. 

At  Cypher,  turn  right  (west)  on  L.  R.  05056 
for  about  % mile,  and  then  turn  left  (south) 
on  L.  R.  877 . At  Tatesville  pick  up  Pa.  26  and 
follow  it  to  Everett.  Take  L.  R.  05018  out  of 
Everett  and  follow  it  for  about  13  miles  to  its 
junction  with  Pa.  326.  Follow  326  south  across 
the  border  to  Flintstone  on  the  National  Road 
(U.  S.  10).  There  is  no  longer  a road  along  the 
summit  of  Warrior  Mountain  to  Oldtown.  Be- 
tween Flintstone  and  Oldtown  the  motorist  will 
have  to  take  any  local  road  he  finds  convenient. 

1 Pennsylvania  Magazine  of  History  and  Biography , L, 
380-81.  See  also  the  Journal  of  Arthur  Lee,  November  27, 
1784,  in  John  W.  Harpster’s  Pen  Pictures  of  Early  Western 
Pennsylvania  (Pittsburgh,  1938),  151;  Charles  A.  Hanna, 
The  Wilderness  Trail  (New  York,  1911),  I.  277. 


182 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  125 


2 See  the  Travel  Diary'  of  Jungman,  Oppelts,  and  Mor- 
timer, from  Bethlehem  to  Gnadenhiitten  on  the  Mus- 
kingum, May  12,  1799,  Archives  of  the  Moravian  Church, 
Bethlehem,  Pa. 

3 For  a discussion  of  this,  see  William  B.  Marye,  “War- 
rior Paths,”  Pennsylvania  Archaeologist,  XIII,  No.  1 


(January  and  April,  1943)  , 9,  23. 

4 This  latter  is  the  name  given  on  the  U.  S.  Geological 
Survey  Map,  Flintstone  Quadrangle,  1944.  See  Marye,  op. 
cit.,  p.  18,  n.  47. 

5 Christopher  Gist’s  Journals,  William  M.  Darlington, 
ed.  (Pittsburgh,  1893),  32. 


B.  Warriors  Path:  Through  Manns  Choice 

O 

From  Frankstown  to  Cresaptown,  Md. 


On  the  Warriors  Path  headed  south  from 
Frankstown,  several  paths  from  the  north  con- 
verged: the  Bald  Eagle  Creek  Path,  the  Warriors 
Mark  Path,  and  the  Penns  Creek  Path. 

On  leaving  Frankstown,  the  Warriors  Path  for 
Cresaptown  (six  miles  southwest  of  Cumberland, 
Md.)  remained  on  the  east  side  of  the  Franks- 
town Branch  of  the  Juniata,  hugging  the  steep 
sides  of  first  Short  and  then  Dunning  Mountain, 
avoiding  thus  the  too-well-watered  low  banks  on 
the  west  side  of  the  stream.  The  path  crossed 
Hatter  Creek  at  the  mouth  of  McGee  Gap, 
passed  Claysburg,  followed  Boiling  Spring  Run 
through  what  used  to  be  known  as  Indian  Path 
Valley  (now  Moses  Valley)  ,4  and  came  to  a land- 
mark known  as  the  Three  Springs. 

Several  places  contend  for  the  honor  of  being 
the  historic  Three  Springs.  Surveys  made  in  the 
year  1767  on  warants  dated  1762,  show  at  least 
two  sets  of  triple  springs.  They  are  within  a mile 
of  each  other,  and  both  discharge  their  waters 
into  the  Frankstown  Branch.  This  was  a well- 
watered  valley.  Between  Thomas  Cook’s  tract,2 
which  shows  “3  Springs,”  and  Henry  “Boquet’s” 
tract3  named  “Three  Springs”  (the  springs  are 
clearly  shown  about  a mile  south  of  Thomas 
Cook’s)  there  lay  Joseph  Cook’s  tract,4  which 
carried  the  name  “Springfield.” 

Still  another  set  of  spring  triplets  was  born  of 
Mother  Earth  a little  farther  on.  They  were  in 
Indian  Path  Valley,  which  at  this  end  is  now 
known  as  Three  Springs  Valley.  On  the  Three 
Spring  Valley  Farm,  several  miles  south  of  Henry 
Bouquet’s  Three  Springs  tract,  you  may  still  see 
three  springs  in  fairly  close  proximity.  But  these 
contribute  their  waters  to  a southward-flowing 
stream  (known  in  1762  as  Halfway  Run)5  and  are 
not  to  be  confused  with  the  northward-flowing 
Three  Springs  of  200  years  ago. 

The  Indian  path  crossed  Halfway  Run  (from 


north  to  south)  near  its  head,  and  continued  to- 
ward Osterburg,  which  it  passed  a little  to  the 
east.  Beyond  St.  Clairsville,  it  ascended  Blackoak 
Ridge,  ran  along  the  top  for  nearly  three  miles, 
and  came  down  to  cross  Dunning  Creek  at  what 
is  now  Cessna.  About  a mile  farther  on,  the  path 
came  to  a fork,  one  branch  going  through  Rays- 
town  (Bedford)  while  the  other  went  through 
Manns  Choice. 

From  Cessna,  war  parties  headed  south  could 
save  time  by  taking  the  Manns  Choice  route. 
They  came  first  to  the  Parting  of  the  Ways  near 
Napier.  Here  the  Glades  Path  left  the  Raystown 
Path.  The  warriors  followed  the  Glades  Path 
for  three  miles,  crossed  the  Juniata  at  Manns 
Choice,  and  went  up  the  valley  of  Buffalo  Run, 
which  lies  west  of  Wills  Mountain,  to  Buffalo 
Mills.  Crossing  the  height  of  land  into  the  valley 
of  Fittle  Wills  Creek,  they  passed  Madley,  Fossil- 
ville,  and  the  village  of  Wills  Creek.  At  Hynd- 
man  they  ascended  the  ridge  that  parallels  Wills 
Creek  from  the  west,  followed  it  for  about  five 
miles,  and  came  down  to  the  creek  again  before 
crossing  the  State  line  into  Ellerslie,  Md.  From 
Ellerslie  they  followed  Wills  Creek  to  Corrigan- 
ville  at  the  mouth  of  Jennings  Run  (where  the 
Turkeyfoot  Path  emerged  from  the  hills)  , and 
in  another  mile  and  a half  turned  right  up  what 
is  now  known  as  Braddock  Run.  This  they  fol- 
lowed for  two  or  three  miles,  then  crossed  it  and 
went  south  to  Cresaptown  on  Warrior  Run.  Here 
the  two  routes  from  Cessna  (via  Manns  Choice 
and  Raystown)  came  together  and  proceeded  up 
the  North  Branch  of  the  Potomac. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  the  present  Frankstown  (formerly  Franks- 
town Sleeping  Place,  opposite  Frank  Stevens’ 
trading  post)  , which  is  on  U.  S.  22  about  2 miles 
east  of  Hollidaysburg,  take  L.  R.  07011  south.  In 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  125 


183 


about  a mile  it  passes  the  site  of  the  original 
Frankstown,  on  the  south  side  of  the  Frankstown 
Branch  of  the  Juniata,  opposite  the  mouth  of 
the  Beaverdam  Branch.  Continue  on  07011, 
keeping  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  to  McKee. 


Cross  the  Juniata,  turn  left  (south)  on  U.  S.  220, 
and  follow  it  through  Claysburg  and  St.  Clairs- 
ville  to  Cessna. 

About  a mile  south  of  Cessna,  take  the  right 
fork,  L.  R.  05047 , and  follow  it  for  about  4 miles 


to  its  junction  with  Pa.  31.  Turn  right  (west) 
on  31  and  follow  it  to  Manns  Choice.  There 
take  Pa.  96  south  and  follow  it  through  Buffalo 
Mills,  Fossilville,  and  Hyndman  to  Ellerslie. 
Here  the  road  changes  its  number  to  Aid.  35.  At 
Corriganville  take  Aid.  36  south  to  Narrows 
Park.  There  turn  left  (east)  on  U.  S.  40  and 
follow  it  to  its  junction  with  U.  S.  220  in  Cum- 
berland. Turn  right  on  220  for  Cresaptown. 

1 William  H.  Koontz,  ed..  History  of  Bedford  and  Som- 
erset Counties  (New  York,  1906)  , I,  235. 

-Warrantee  Survey  T-155. 

3C  7-45. 

J G-265. 

5 Cumberland  County  Warrants,  B 112:  to  Henry  Bo- 
quet,  200  acres,  "on  the  Indian  Path  from  Bedford  to 
Frankstown  known  by  the  Name  of  half  way  run— July  /, 
1762.”  See  also  Warrantee  Survey  C 7-36,  July  9,  1767, 
“on  the  Halfway  Run  and  on  the  path  from  Bedford  to 
Frankstown." 


] 84 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  125-126 


C.  Warriors  Path:  Through  Raystown 

From  Frankstown  to  Cumberland,  Aid. 


From  Frankstown  to  Cessna,  the  Raystown 
branch  of  the  Warriors  Path  was  identical  with 
the  branch  through  Manns  Choice  (q.v.).  But, 
at  the  forks  a mile  south  of  Cessna,  it  separated, 
bearing  left.  Thence  it  traveled  for  about  four 
miles  over  gentle  hills  to  a point  half  a mile  east 
of  Wolfsburg,  where  it  came  down  to  the  Juniata 
River.  Keeping  east  of  the  river  and  hugging  the 
base  of  the  cliffs  beside  it,  the  path  came  in 
another  two  miles  to  the  ford  at  Raystown  (Bed- 
ford) . At  an  earlier  time  it  may  have  gone  round 
by  the  original  Raystown,  Ray’s  trading  post 
at  the  mouth  of  Dunning  Creek,  in  which  case 
the  ford  would  have  been  the  one  used  by  trav- 
elers from  the  east  on  the  Raystown  Path,  about 
half  a mile  east  of  present  Bedford. 

Exactly  how  the  path  left  Bedford  for  the 
south  is  a matter  of  some  question.  Probably 
there  were  alternate  routes.  If  it  crossed  the 
Juniata  by  the  old  ford  on  the  Raystown  Path, 
it  probably  ran  southwest  through  Bedford 
Springs  and,  as  the  modern  road  (U.  S.  220)  does, 
kept  high  above  Shobers  Run  and  in  about  three 
and  a half  miles  passed  through  the  gap  into 


Cumberland  Valley.  From  Fort  Bedford,  how- 
ever, a more  convenient  route  entered  Cumber- 
land Valley  directly  from  the  west  end  of  Bedford 
and  joined  the  other  route  near  Burning  Bush. 
From  that  point,  its  course  was  like  that  of  the 
modern  road,  down  the  long  valley  walled  by 
Wills  Mountain  on  the  west  and  Evitts  Mountain 
on  the  east.  Passing  Centerville,  it  swung  east 
through  the  gap  in  Shriver  Ridge  at  the  Mason 
and  Dixon  Line,  turned  southwest  again  beween 
Shriver  Ridge  on  the  right  and  Evitts  Creek  on 
the  left,  and  so  came  to  the  mouth  of  Wills  Creek 
at  Cumberland,  Md. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  Frankstown,  follow  the  route  recom- 
mended for  the  Manns  Choice  branch  as  far  as 
Cessna;  or,  if  speed  is  essential,  take  U.  S.  22 
west  through  Hollidaysburg  and  Duncansville 
to  the  junction  wdth  U.  S.  220  and  follow  220  to 
Cessna.  From  East  Freedom  (opposite  McKees 
Gap)  , the  road  is  never  far  from  the  old  path. 

From  Cessna,  continue  on  U.  S.  220  through 
Bedford  to  Cumberland,  Md. 


126.  Warriors  Branch 

From  Smithfield  to  Aloundsville,  W.  Va. 


The  Warriors  Branch,  an  offshoot  of  the 
Catawba  Path  south  of  Uniontown,  Fayette 
County,  ran  west  to  cross  the  Ohio  River  at 
Moundsville  and  continued  through  Ohio  and 
Kentucky  to  Tennessee.  It  was  sometimes  known 
as  the  Great  Warriors  Path  and  also  as  the 
Wheeling  Path. 

It  left  the  Catawba  Path  in  southwest  Fayette 
County,  probably  at,  or  perhaps  two  or  three 
miles  south  of,  Smithfield,  crossing  the  Monon- 
gahela  either  at  the  mouth  of  George’s  Creek 
(New  Geneva,  a mile  northeast  of  Albert  Gal- 
latin’s home,  Friendship  Hill)  or  at  the  mouth 
of  Dunkard  Creek  ( a mile  south  of  Friendship 


Hill)  . In  any  case,  it  climbed  to  the  head  of 
Miners  Run  and  ran  along  the  summit  of  the 
winding  ridge  between  Whiteley  Creek  and 
Dunkard  Creek,  passing  Luke,  Camp,  Bluff,  and 
Nettle  Hill  to  Morford.  There  the  path  forked, 
the  branch  to  the  left  running  to  the  vicinity  of 
Woodlands  at  the  mouth  of  Fish  Creek  on  the 
Ohio,  while  that  to  the  right  ran  north  to  Rock- 
lick,  where  it  ascended  Fork  Ridge  (between 
Grave  Creek  and  Middle  Grave  Creek)  , and 
followed  it  to  Moundsville,  where  it  crossed  the 
Ohio  River.  Another  branch  ran  north  to  Wil- 
unk  (Wheeling)  . 

Dr.  Paul  Stewart,  former  president  of  Waynes- 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  126 


185 


burg  College,  who  has  studied  this  path  and 
walked  over  much  of  it,  gave  this  description 
of  it  to  the  present  writer: 

It  crossed  the  Ohio  at  the  mouth  of 
Graves  Creek.  Another  branch  came  in  at 
the  mouth  of  Fish  Creek.  The  Indians 
crossed  at  fords,  and  they  immediately  got 
to  the  high  ground.  From  the  Ohio,  this 
trail  ran  to  Morford  Post  Office  in  the 
extreme  southwest  corner  of  Greene 
County.  From  Morford  Post  Office  it  went 
to  Centennial  Church,  keeping  right  on 
the  ridge.  From  Centennial  Church  you 
come  to  Nettle  Hill.  From  there  you  come 
to  the  top  of  Grimes  Hill.  From  Grimes 
Hill  to  Bluff  (known  to  most  people  as 
Gabbletown)  it  appears  as  a crease  in  the 
hilltop.  From  Gabbletown  go  to  Knisely 
School  House,  keeping  on  the  ridge.  From 
Knisely  School  House,  you  go  to  Brant 
Summit.  This  is  a real  ridge  trail.  There 
are  no  big  dips. 

James  Veech,  writing  in  The  Monongahela 
of  Old,  finds  other  connections  between  the 
Warriors  Branch  and  other  continental  paths: 

A tributary  trail  [tributary  to  the  Ca- 
tawba Path],  called  the  Warrior  Branch, 
coming  from  Tennessee,  through  Ken- 
tucky and  Southern  Ohio,  came  up  Fish 
creek  and  down  Dunkard,  crossing  Cheat 
river  at  M’Farland’s.1 

Veech  was  under  the  impression  that  the  War- 
riors Branch  came  down  Dunkard  Creek.  Un- 
doubtedly there  was  a trail-crossing  at  the  mouth 
of  that  creek,  but  it  is  doubtful  if  the  main  trail 
followed  the  creek’s  deep  and  tortuous  valley.  It 
is  more  likely  that  warriors  headed  for  Kentucky 
and  Tennessee  took  the  convenient  ridge  de- 
scribed by  President  Stewart. 


That  there  were  trails  of  some  sort  in  the 
vicinity  of  Dunkard  Creek,  as  well  as  on  the 
ridge,  goes  without  saying.  Indians  went  almost 
everywhere.  But  “warriors  paths”  were  usually 
through  routes  (like  the  Pennsylvania  Turnpike) 
designed  for  distant  travel  and  for  speed.  It 
would  be  strange  if  warriors  passing  through 
Greene  County  in  a hurry  did  not  make  use  of  a 
good  ridge  path  when  one  was  available.  Indian 
warriors  were  not  looking  for  the  picturesque, 
but  for  efficiency. 

That  there  was  an  old  path  running  along  the 
ridge  that  separates  Dunkard  Creek  from  White- 
ley  Creek  is  made  clear  in  an  early  description 
of  the  bounds  of  proposed  Dunkard  Township, 
Greene  County,  December,  1794,  which  Dr.  Ray- 
mond Martin  Bell  of  Washington  and  Jefferson 
College  has  transcribed  for  the  present  writer: 

Beginning  at  the  mouth  of  Minors  run 
[a  mile  north  of  the  mouth  of  Dunkard 
Creek]  on  the  Monongehela  River,  thence 
up  said  run  till  it  strikes  the  old  Wheeling 
path,  continuing  on  the  path  to  the  sum- 
mit of  the  ridge  dividing  Dunkard  and 
Whiteley  Creeks,  continuing  on  the  ridge 
to  the  line,  the  lower  or  eastern  district, 
to  be  called  Dunkard  Township.2 

It  is  not  unlikely  that  Indians  from  Ohio  and 
Tennessee,  going  north  on  the  Catawba  Path, 
crossed  the  Monongahela  at  the  mouth  of 
Georges  Creek,  while  those  going  south  or  east 
crossed  at  the  mouth  of  Dunkard  Creek.  The 
latter  are  said  to  have  used  an  extension  of  the 
Warriors  Branch  as  a short  cut  to  Wills  Creek 
(Cumberland,  Md.)  and  the  Potomac. 

1 (Pittsburgh,  1892),  25. 

- Petitions  for  new  townships,  Court  of  Quarter  Ses- 
sions, Washington,  Pa  (in  courthouse  attic). 


186 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  127 


127.  Warriors  Mark  Path 


From  Warriors  Mark 


There  is  good  evidence  of  the  existence  of  a 
path  from  Warriors  Mark  to  Clearfield,  although 
little  is  known  with  certainty  about  the  precise 
course  it  took.  There  is  a reference  to  it  among 
the  survey  notes  of  Samuel  Wallis.  Under  date 
of  January  18,  179S,  a group  of  land  tracts  is 
described  as  “beginning  with  Diffenderfer  and 
ending  with  Chester  Hagen  Situate  on  the  waters 
of  Clearfield  Creek— and  on  the  path  leading 
from  the  Warriors  Mark  to  Clearfield.  . . -”1 

If  the  Warriors  Mark  there  mentioned  is  the 
well-known  landmark  whose  name  is  preserved 
in  the  town  of  Warriors  Mark  in  Huntingdon 
County,  then  the  path  referred  to  in  the  Wallis 
Papers  is  a continuation  of  one  from  Franks- 
town,  which  ran  north  through  Yellow  Spring 
to  Water  Street  and,  crossing  the  Little  Juniata 
above  Spruce  Creek,  proceeded  directly  north 
to  the  Warriors  Mark. 

On  its  way  from  the  Warriors  Mark  to  Clear- 
field, the  path  probably  crossed  Bald  Eagle 
Mountain  by  the  gap  above  Spring  Mount.  It 
would  then  ford  Bald  Eagle  Creek  at  the  village 
of  Bald  Eagle  (where  Chief  Bald  Eagle  is  said 
to  have  had  a camp)  , and  ascend  the  Alle- 
gheny Mountain  by  the  same  route  as  that  taken 
by  the  old  Philipsburg-Tyrone  Road,  which  kept 
on  the  height  of  land  between  Big  Fill  Run  and 
California  Hollow.  It  surmounted  the  final  wall 
of  the  Allegheny  Mountain  through  the  valley  of 
Bright  Run. 

From  what  is  now  Sandy  Ridge,  it  would  be 
natural  for  this  path  to  follow  the  convenient 
ridge  now  used  by  Pa.  350  to  Philipsburg,  where 
it  would  join  Bald  Eagle’s  Path.  There  is,  how- 
ever, another  possibility.  Vernoy  Davis,  formerly 
of  Philipsburg,  reports  a tradition  that  the  War- 
riors Mark  Path,  just  before  reaching  Sandy 
Ridge,  turned  east  down  Cabbage  Hollow  and 
Cold  Stream  to  meet  Bald  Eagle’s  Path  at  present 
Philipsburg.  He  reports  another  tradition  that 
from  Sandy  Ridge  the  Warriors  Mark  Path  ran 
west  down  the  hollow  to  the  vicinity  of  Osceola 
Mills,  where  in  bad  weather  there  was  a better 
crossing  of  Moshannon  Creek  than  at  Philips- 
burg. If  this  route  were  used,  the  path  would 
likely  reach  Bald  Eagle’s  Path  a little  west  of 


to  Clearfield 

Graham,  joining  the  Great  Shamokin  Path  near 
the  head  of  Roaring  Run,  and  so  proceed  to 
Clearfield. 

See  also  Bald  Eagle’s  Path. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  Warriors  Mark,  take  L.  R.  521  over  Bald 
Eagle  Mountain.  Cross  Bald  Eagle  Creek,  take 
Pa.  350  to  Philipsburg,  and  from  there  take 
U.  S.  322  to  Clearfield. 


'Wallis  Papers,  Reel  7,  Historical  Society  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  128 


187 


128.  Wechquetank  Path 

From  Bethlehem  to  Wilkes-Barre 


The  Wechquetank  Path  was  the  “New  Path” 
to  Wyoming,  sometimes  called  David’s  Path.1 
It  was  used  by  the  Moravians  in  1765,  after  their 
return  from  Philadelphia,  on  the  way  with  their 
Indian  converts  to  a new  home  at  Wyalusing. 
The  path  received  its  name  from  the  fact  that 
it  passed  through  Wechquetank  (Gilbert)  , an 


Indian  mission  town  which  the  Moravians 
founded  in  1760  but  evacuated  in  1763  when  it 
was  threatened  by  the  Paxton  Boys  during 
Pontiac’s  War. 

From  Bethlehem  the  Wechquetank  Path  ran 
north  through  Hecktown  to  Newburg.  There  it 


WECHQUETANK  PATH 


188 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  Nos.  128-129 


took  the  left  fork  (the  right  fork  led  to  Nazareth 
and  the  Wind  Gap) , and  proceeded  by  way  of 
Christian  Spring  and  Moorestown  to  Smith 
Gap  in  the  Blue  Mountain.  Descending  from 
Smith  Gap  to  the  Delaware  Indian  town  of 
Meniolagomeka  (Teedyuscung’s  home  before 
1749  or  1750)  2 on  Aquashicola  Creek,  the  path 
crossed  Chestnut  Ridge  to  Kunkletown.  It 
climbed  over  Weir  Mountain,  either  directly  to 
Wechquetank  or  by  way  of  the  gap  (beyond  the 
head  waters  of  Chappie  Creek)  near  the  mouth 
of  which,  by  Pohopoco  Creek,  Fort  Norris  was 
built  in  1756.  It  is  probable  that  a branch  of 
the  path  to  Wyoming  proceeded  directly  north 
from  Fort  Norris  over  Pohopoco  Mountain. 

The  branch  through  Wechquetank  proceeded 
north  to  Merwinsburg  on  Pohopoco  Creek,  in 
this  vicinity  joining  with  the  branch  from  Fort 
Norris.  The  path  went  on  over  the  Pocono 
Mountains  and  through  what  was  known  as  the 
Great  Swamp,  taking  the  same  route  as  that 
later  taken  by  the  Wilkes-Barre  and  Easton 
Road  [Pa.  115 ) through  Blakeslee  Corners, 
Stoddartsville,  and  Bear  Creek  to  Georgetown 
and  Wyoming  (Wilkes-Barre)  . 

Another  way  from  Bethlehem  to  Wechquetank 
was  by  Nazareth,  the  Wind  Gap,  and  Saylors- 
burg.  At  Saylorsburg,  branching  left  from  the 
Sullivan  Road,  a path  led  northwest  to  Mul- 


haney  and  from  there  west  to  Brodheadsville 
and  Wechquetank  (Gilbert) . 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  Bethlehem  take  Pa.  191  (the  road  to 
Nazareth)  north  as  far  as  Newburg,  and  there 
branch  left  on  Pa.  946  for  Moorestown.  From 
Moorestown  no  modern  road  traces  the  old  path 
to  Smith  Gap,  but  a complex  of  small  roads 
will  carry  you  north-northwest  to  the  very  foot 
of  the  Blue  Mountain.  A road  approaches  the 
Gap  from  a point  about  a mile  south  and  west 
of  it.  Your  eye  will  direct  you. 

After  you  descend  the  mountain  into  Monroe 
County,  L.  R.  45002  will  take  you  down  to 
Kunkletown.  (From  there,  the  Moravian  Indian 
town  of  Meniolagomeka  is  about  a mile  to  the 
southeast.)  In  this  area  it  is  impossible  to  trace 
the  path  exactly  on  modern  roads,  but  the  gen- 
eral route  may  be  followed  from  Kunkletown  if 
you  take  L.  R.  45003  north  through  Gilbert 
(Wechquetank)  to  Effort.  At  Effort,  take  Pa. 
115  and  follow  it  north  through  Stoddartsville  to 
Wilkes-Barre.  Pa.  115  keeps  close  to  the  old  path. 

1John  Heckewelder,  History,  Manners  and  Customs  of 
the  Indians  Who  Once  Inhabited  Pennsylvania  and  the 
Neighbouring  States  (Philadelphia,  1876)  , 166-68. 

2 Anthony  F.  C.  Wallace,  King  of  the  Delawares: 
Teedyuscung  1700-1763  (Philadelphia,  1949),  39. 


129.  Wy alusing  Path 

From  Wyalusing  to  Muncy 


From  the  Moravian  Indian  village  of  Frieden- 
shiitten  (two  miles  down  the  river  from  the 
present  Wyalusing  at  the  mouth  of  Wyalusing 
Creek)  , the  Wyalusing  Path  crossed  the  Susque- 
hanna River  to  the  mouth  of  Sugar  Run  Creek. 
Thence  it  ran  up  the  creek  valley,  ascended 
Bartlett  Mountain,  and  entered  the  wilderness 
on  Dutch  Mountain.  It  followed  a course  be- 
ween  the  swamps  at  the  head  of  Loyalsock  Creek 
to  the  west  and  of  Mehoopany  Creek  to  the  east.1 

About  twelve  miles  from  the  Susquehanna 
there  was  a favorite  stopping  place  for  travelers, 
known  as  the  "Sign  of  the  Goose.’’  This  was 
probably  “the  Moravian  Cabbin”  referred  to  in 


Northumberland  County  Warrant  F 86. 2 The 
path  continued  south  from  the  cabin  for  another 
two  miles  and  then  turned  southwest  past  High 
Cobble  and  along  the  westernmost  spur  of  Dutch 
Mountain. 

It  is  not  known  exactly  how  it  made  its  way 
from  Dutch  Mountain  to  Muncy  Creek,  but 
it  probably  ran  southwest  along  the  ridge,  cross- 
ing Painter  Den  Creek  at  its  junction  with  Wolf 
Run,  and  following  another  ridge  in  the  same 
direction  to  meet  Muncy  Creek  at  the  mouth  of 
Lopez  Pond  Branch.  On  the  other  hand,  it  may 
have  crossed  Lopez  Creek  at  its  junction  with 
Painter  Den  Creek,  followed  the  ridge  overlook- 


INDIAN  PATHS  OP  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  129 


189 


ing  Lopez  Creek  from  the  north,  and  come  down 
to  Muncy  Creek  at  the  mouth  of  Peters  Creek. 
Certainly  it  struck  Muncy  Creek  above  the 
mouth  of  Elk  Creek  at  Nordmont. 

That  the  path  encountered  the  narrows  of 
Muncy  Creek  near  its  headwaters  and  followed 
its  windings  all  the  way  down,  is  attested  by 
Bishop  John  Ettwein,  who,  in  describing  his 
journey  over  this  path  in  June,  1772,  said  he 
crossed  Muncy  Creek  thirty-six  times.3  Samuel 
Harris,  who  came  this  way  in  May  ol  the  same 
year,  crossed  it  twenty  times.4  Northumberland 
County  Warrants  G 446  and  447  describe  certain 
tracts  of  land  as  at  the  13th,  14th,  and  15th 
crossings  of  Muncy  Creek.3 

From  Nordmont,  the  Wyalusing  Path  ran 
down  Muncy  Creek  Valley  past  Sonestown, 
Muncy  Valley,  Strawbridge,  and  Glen  Mawr,  to 
Picture  Rocks,  where  it  made  another  of  its 
many  crossings.  Proceeding  through  Hughes- 
ville,  it  crossed  Muncy  Creek  for  the  last  time  at 
what  is  now  the  concrete  bridge  on  the  main 
road  into  Muncy. 

Early  travelers  have  left  descriptions  of  the 
Wyalusing  Path.  The  best  is  by  Bishop  John 
Ettwein,  organizer  of  Moravian  Indian  missions, 
telling  of  the  migration  of  some  two  hundred 


Delaware  and  Mahican  Indians  under  his  care, 
with  their  horses  and  cattle,  from  Friedenshiitten 
to  new  homes  on  the  Tuscarawas  River  in  what  is 
now  Ohio.  The  following  entry  is  under  the  date 
June  1 1,  1772: 

After  we  crossed  the  Susquehanna  at 
the  ford  [now  Sugar  Run  Ferry]  our  way 
led  straight  to  the  mountains,  and  after 
proceding  two  miles,  we  entered  the  Great 
Swamp,  where  the  undergrowth  was  so 
dense  that  ofttimes  it  was  impossible  to 
see  one  another  at  the  distance  of  six  feet. 
The  path  was  frequently  a blind  one  and 
yet  along  it  sixty  head  of  cattle  and  fifty 
horses  and  colts  had  to  be  driven,  and 
it  needed  careful  watch  to  keep  them  to- 
gether. We  lost  but  one  young  cow  from 
the  entire  herd.  Every  morning  however, 


WYALUSING 

V-N  • 

FRIEDENSHUTTEW 

Locka - 


Dushore 


* •0A*%v: 

k THE  GOOSE 


WYALUSING  PATH 


190 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  129 


it  was  necessary  to  send  drivers  back,  as 
far  as  ten  miles,  to  wrhip  in  such  as  would 
during  the  night  stray  off.  At  our  first 
night’s  encampment  two  of  our  Indians 
lost  themselves  while  in  search  of  straying 
cattle,  and  several  hours  elapsed  before  we 
could  reach  them  with  signal  guns.  It 
was  daily  a matter  of  astonishment  to  me, 
that  any  man  should  presume  to  traverse 
this  swamp,  and  follow  what  is  called  a 
path.  It  is  at  least  sixty  miles  in  diameter. 

On  the  highlands  where  the  Loyalsock 
and  Muncy  creeks  head,  it  is  very  rocky 
and  almost  impassable.  There  were  indi- 
cations of  abundance  of  ores  here.  The 
timber  is  principally  Sugar-maple,  Lin- 
dens, Ash,  Oak  and  White-pine.  What 
told  on  me  the  most  was  that  several  days 
it  rained  incessantly,  and  I was  wet  all 
day.  The  path  led  thirty  six  times  across 
Muncy  creek.  At  intervals  here  there  were 
exceedingly  rich  bottoms,  and  the  noblest 
timber  I have  seen  in  America,  except- 
ing the  cypress  in  South  Carolina  and 
Georgia.6 

Samuel  Harris,  surveyor,  who  came  this  way  in 
1774,  was  no  less  emphatic  in  his  distaste  for 
this  difficult  path: 

May  10.  Left  Woyalusing  6 minutes 
after  Six  in  the  morning,  Dyned  at  the 
Sign  of  the  Goose,  Left  it  14  after  one 
Oclock  and  got  over  to  the  Elk  Lick  on 
Muncy  Creek  \/4  before  Six  Incampt  got 
our  Suppers  feed  our  Horses  have  made 
our  Beeds  and  not  quite  dark.  I think  we 
had  a Hard  days  Ride  OVER  THE 
WORST  ROADS  IN  THE  WORLD.  We 
did  never  Stopt  one  minute  from  Woyalus- 
ing Till  we  got  to  this  Place  Have  y4  of 
Hour  at  the  Goos  to  Dyne. 

May  1 1.  Left  the  Elk  Lick  on  the  Head 
of  Muncey  about  Sun  Rise  after  getting 
our  Breakfast  and  got  to  Sam’l  Wallises 
Muncy  Farm  20  minutes  after  Two  in  the 
afternoon.7 


FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

Since  it  is  much  easier  to  approach  the  Wyalus- 
ing  Path  from  the  west  than  from  the  east,  the 
motorist  is  advised  to  start  at  Muncy.  Take 
Pa.  105  to  Hughesville.  There  take  U.  S.  220 
and  follow  it  through  Picture  Rocks  and  Muncy 
Valley  to  Sonestown.  From  Sonestown  take  L.  R. 
611  to  Nordmont.  L.  R.  56011  will  take  you  2 
miles  farther  up  the  creek,  but  will  then  cross 
it  and  bring  you  back.  There  is,  in  fact,  no 
modern  road  within  miles  of  the  route  taken  by 
this  path  across  the  mountains. 

To  pick  up  the  path  again  on  the  Susquehanna 
watershed,  the  motorist  had  better  return  to 
Sonestown  and  take  U.  S.  220  through  Laporte 
to  Dushore.  There  take  Pa.  87.  Follow  it  to 
Colley  and  about  4 miles  beyond.  Turn  left, 
and  you  will  be  on  the  old  path  again,  about 
3 miles  north  of  the  Sign  of  the  Goose.  Follow 
this  road  across  the  county  line  (in  Bradford 
County  its  number  changes  to  L.  R.  08016).  In 
about  4 miles  it  leads  you  to  Pa.  187  which,  still 
following  the  path,  takes  you  through  Hollen- 
back  and  down  Sugar  Run  to  the  Susquehanna 
opposite  the  site  of  the  Moravian  town  of  Frie- 
denshiitten  or  Peace  Village. 

1 See  Warrantee  Survey  B-449:  ‘‘Situated  on  the  head 
of  Whoopaning  Creek,”  which  shows  the  “Indian  path 
from  Muncy  to  Wialusing.”  See  also  the  surveys  of  ad- 
joining tracts  on  Dutch  Mountain,  south  of  “the  Moravian 
Cabin”  and  “about  twelve  miles  from  Wyalusing":  B-450 
and  A 76-266,  -267,  -268,  -280. 

2 Joseph  Fox,  July  22,  1793. 

3 “Rev.  John  Ettwein’s  Notes  of  Travel  ....  1772,”  from 
Friedenshiitten,  John  W.  Jordan,  ed.,  Pennsylvania  Maga- 
zine of  History  and  Biography,  XXV  (1901)  , 208-209. 

* "Journal  of  Samuel  Harris,”  Now  and  Then,  IV  (1931), 
338. 

6 Bureau  of  Land  Records,  Harrisburg. 

0 Ettwein,  op.  cit. 

7 Now  and  Then,  IV  (1931),  338. 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  130 


191 


130.  Wyoming  Paths 


Wyoming  was  an  important  Indian  center  dur- 
ing colonial  days,  inhabited  by  refugee  tribes 
under  the  Iroquois  mantle.  Many  trails  con- 
verged here. 

From  the  Forks  of  the  Susquehanna  and  the 
West  Branch  above  it,  there  were  four  distinct 
paths  to  Wyoming: 

1.  From  Shamokin,  up  the  south  side  of  the 
East  Branch  of  the  Susquehanna,  by  way  of 
Catawissa,  Mifflinville,  Nescopeck,  Wapwallopen, 
and  Nanticoke.  See  the  Catawissa  Path  and  the 
Wapwallopen  Path. 

2.  From  Northumberland,  up  the  north  side 
of  the  East  Branch  of  the  Susquehanna  by  way 
of  Danville,  Bloomsburg,  Berwick,  Shickshinny, 
West  Nanticoke,  Plymouth,  and  Kingston.  See 
the  Great  Warriors  Path. 

3.  Either  from  the  mouth  of  Warrior  Run  by 
way  of  McEwenville  and  Fort  Freeland,  or  from 
the  mouth  of  Muddy  Run  at  Boone’s  Fort, 
probably  by  way  of  Ottawa  or  its  vicinity  through 
Jerseytown,  Mordansville,  and  the  forks  of  Fish- 
ing Creek.  From  the  forks  it  ran  south  through 
the  gap  between  Knob  and  Huntingdon  moun- 
tains and  followed  the  bank  of  Little  Shickshinny 
Creek  to  the  town  of  Shickshinny,  where  it 
joined  the  Great  Warriors  Path.  An  extension 
of  this  path  in  the  other  direction  forded  the 
West  Branch  of  the  Susquehanna  at  the  mouth 
of  Warrior  Run  and  proceeded  west  by  what  is 
sometimes  called  the  Culbertson  Path  to  a junc- 
tion with  Logan’s  Path  in  Clinton  County.  It 
was  a short  cut  from  Wyoming  to  the  Great 
Island. 


4.  From  Muncy,  probably  by  way  of  White 
Hall  and  Jerseytown,  where  it  joined  the  path 
from  Warrior  Run  to  Wyoming  (No.  3 above)  . 

From  the  Delaware  River  there  were  five  nota- 
ble paths  to  Wyoming.  These  may  be  consulted 
under  their  individual  names: 

1.  The  Lehigh  Path,  from  Bethlehem  by  way 
of  Lehighton,  Yeager  Mountain,  Warrior  Gap, 
and  Nanticoke. 

2.  The  Pechoquealin  Path,  from  Pechoquea- 
lin  (Shawnee  on  the  Delaware)  by  way  of  the 
Wind  Gap. 

3.  Sullivan’s  Road,  from  Easton  by  way  of 
the  Wind  Gap  and  Pocono  Pines. 

4.  The  Wechquetank  Path  (the  “New  Path’’ 
to  Wyoming) , from  Bethlehem  by  way  of  Wech- 
quetank (Gilbert)  or  its  vicinity  and  Stoddarts- 
ville. 

5.  The  Minisink  Path,  from  Minisink  Island 
(below  Milford)  by  way  of  Capoose  Meadows 
(Scranton)  . 

From  Gnadenhiitten  (Lehighton)  or  Fort  Allen 
(Weissport)  , the  best  way  to  Wyoming,  accord- 
ing to  John  Heckewelder,1  was  by  the  Nesco- 
peck Path.  From  Nescopeck,  travelers  to  Wyom- 
ing crossed  the  Susquehanna  and  finished  the 
journey  by  the  Great  Warriors  Path.  An  alter- 
nate route  from  Nescopeck  was  by  the  shorter 
but  more  difficult  Wapwallopen  Path. 

1 History,  Manners,  and  Customs  of  the  Indians  Who 
Once  Inhabited  Pennsylvania  and  the  Neighbouring 
States  (Philadelphia,  1876)  , p.  333,  n.  3. 


192 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  No.  131 


131.  Wysaukin  Path 

From  Wysox,  Pa.,  to  Owego,  N.  Y. 


The  Wysaukin  Path  provided  a short  cut  for 
travelers  up  the  North  Branch  of  the  Susque- 
hanna by  the  Great  Warriors  Path,  enabling 
them  to  avoid  the  wide  loop  through  Towranda, 
Sheshequin,  and  Tioga. 

Leaving  the  river  at  Wysox,  the  Wysaukin 
Path  ran  up  Wysaukin  (Wysox)  Creek  through 
Rome  to  the  headwaters  and  over  the  almost 
imperceptible  divide  to  a branch  of  Wappasen- 
ing  Creek.  It  ran  down  the  latter  to  Nichols  on 
the  Susquehanna  River  about  eight  miles  below 
Owego. 

At  Wysox  on  June  7,  1750,  Frederick  Cammer- 
hoff  and  David  Zeisberger,  Moravian  mission- 
aries, camped  and  named  the  place  Garden  of 
Roses  because  of  the  redolence  of  wild  roses  on 
the  Wysox  plains. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

From  Wysox  take  Pa.  187  through  Rome, 
North  Orwell,  and  Windham  Center  to  Nichols. 
There  turn  right  on  N.  Y . 283  for  Owego. 


APPENDICES 


Appendix  I 

THE  KITTANNING  PATH1 

By  Henry  M.  Gooderham 


HE  KITTANNING  PATH  crosses  the 
Blair-Cambria  County  line  on  the  ridge,  on 
land  now  owned  by  Warren  Delozier.  Extend- 
ing in  a westerly  direction,  the  path  crosses  Leg- 
islative Route  11035  a short  distance  south  of 
St.  Joseph  Catholic  Cemetery,  or  approximately 
three-fourths  of  a mile  south  of  the  Coupon  road. 

A few  rods  south  of  the  St.  Joseph  Cemetery 
the  path  runs  in  a northwesterly  direction  down 
the  ridge  of  the  Kittanning  Gap  over  the  land 
of  Edward  Johnson  and  Anna  H.  Stephens  to 
the  village  of  Mark  Hannam.  Here  it  connects 
with  L.  R.  11072,  running  on  and  near  the  high- 
way for  about  seventy  rods  to  near  the  concrete 
bridge  on  L.  R.  11072,  where  the  path  turns 
west  over  the  lands  of  Matt  Conrad,  Raymond 
Beisinger,  and  Robert  Adams  to  Clearfield  Creek 
and  the  Clear  Fields.  From  near  the  concrete 
bridge  on  L.  R.  11072,  going  west  over  the  hill, 
the  Pennsylvania  Electric  Company’s  line  to  the 
Ashville  substation  at  Clearfield  Creek  is  on  and 
very  near  the  original  Kittanning  Path. 

At  the  Clear  Fields,  one  mile  south  of  Ash- 
ville on  Traffic  Route  53,  the  path  crosses  Clear- 
field Creek  at  approximately  the  point  (and 
within  the  angle)  where  Beaver  Dam  Run  en- 
ters Clearfield  Creek.  From  here  it  proceeds  west 
on  and  near  an  unimproved  township  road  for 
approximately  a mile  and  a quarter. 

The  path  then  bears  right  on  land  of  Gordon 
Swanhart;  thence,  on  land  and  near  the  resi- 
dence of  Walter  Hammond,  to  the  land  of 
Frank  Watt.  From  here  it  passes  over  the  farm 
and  on  the  north  side  of  the  residence  of  the 
Vincent  Malloy  heirs. 

It  then  proceeds  past  the  residence  ot  Fmern 
Reig,  in  the  Borough  of  Chest  Springs,  crossing 
[Legislative]  Route  406  at  its  junction  with 
L.  R.  11041. 

From  the  junction  of  Route  406  and  L.  R. 
11041  for  a distance  of  approximately  one  and 
a half  miles  northwest,  the  path  is  on  or  near 


L.  R.  11041.  It  then  bears  to  the  western  side 
of  L.  R.  11041,  but  parallel  with  it  until  the 
farm  of  John  Kuntzman  is  reached,  where  it  is 
found  to  the  west  of  his  residence.  Thence  it 
goes  down  to  the  bottom  of  the  hill  at  Ecken- 
rode’s  Mill,  where  it  again  connects  with  L.  R. 
11041. 

The  path  crosses  Chest  Creek  at  the  site  of 
the  present  bridge.  About  40  rods  west  of  Chest 
Creek  at  Eckenrode’s  Mill  is  located  the  tract  of 
land  now  owned  by  the  Cambria  County  His- 
torical Society  on  which  the  path  has  been  posi- 
tively identified. 

The  visible  marks  of  the  path  here  have  been 
pointed  out  by  father  to  son  for  several  genera- 
tions. The  exact  location  of  this  particular  part 
of  the  path  can  be  seen  on  the  survey  dated  21st 
day  of  June,  1773,  made  for  Abiah  Taylor  in 
pursuance  of  a warrant  dated  the  25th  day  of 
May  in  the  same  year.  It  is  now  on  file  in  the 
Land  Office,  Department  of  Internal  Affairs, 
Harrisburg,  Pa.  A copy  of  the  draft  is  on  file  in 
the  rooms  of  the  Cambria  County  Historical  So- 
ciety at  Ebensburg,  Pa.  It  is  known  that  this  par- 
ticular part  of  the  path  never  had  a wheel  or 
plow  on  it,  so  that  it  is  in  the  very  form  and 
shape  it  had  when  used,  worn,  and  abandoned 
by  the  aborigines  and  Indian  traders. 

From  this  tract,  which  is  owned  by  the  Society, 
the  path  runs  north  over  the  fields  on  the  farm 
of  Leonard  Yeckley.  At  the  top  of  the  hill  it 
turns  northwest  to  a point  where  it  crosses  the 
western  corner  of  the  Gooderham  Farm. 

The  path  then  proceeds  along  the  ridge  on  the 
farm  of  Frederick  J.  Rosian,  Jr.,  and  a short  dis- 
tance down  the  hill  on  the  Thomas  farm,  cross- 
ing L.  R.  I 1048  at  its  junction  with  L.  R.  11075. 
L.  R.  11018  is  the  highway  leading  from  Patton 
to  Carrolltown. 

For  approximately  one  mile,  that  is,  to  the 
residence  of  Michael  J.  Gibson,  L.  R.  11075  is 
on  the  path.  From  this  point  the  path  bears  to 


194 


INDIAN  PATHS  OP  PENNSYLVANIA,  APPENDIX  l-II 


the  north  side  of  L.  R.  1 1075  but  nearly  parallel 
with  it  as  far  as  Baker’s  Crossroads— a place  that 
in  pioneer  days  was  known  as  Buzzard’s  I own. 

From  Baker’s  Crossroads  to  the  place  known  as 
Hart’s  Sleeping  Place  and  a mile  beyond  it,  the 
present  highway,  L.  R.  11049,  is  practically  on 
the  path.  It  runs  over  the  ridge,  keeping  a little 
to  the  west  of  the  highway,  but  joining  it  again 
a short  distance  southeast  of  Fritz’s  Corner,  near 
Hastings. 

The  present  highway  follows  the  path  to  a 
short  distance  west  of  Fritz's  Corner.  Then  the 
path  bears  right  and  runs  on  and  near  an  unim- 
proved township  highway  for  two  miles,  when 
it  connects  with  L.  R.  11058.  From  there  to 
Plattsville  L.  R.  11058  is  on  the  path. 


195 

For  nearly  a mile  beyond  Plattsville  the  course 
of  the  path  is  identical  with  that  of  an  unim- 
proved road  past  the  residence  of  Ralph  Lewis 
to  the  two  churches  at  Pleasant  Hill,  which,  in 
pioneer  days,  was  called  Shazan.  Here  it  crosses 
L.  R.  11057. 

The  path  then  runs  in  a westerly  direction 
across  the  lands  of  Reed  Krug,  William  Shep- 
herd, the  heirs  of  Elijah  Baker,  and  the  heirs  of 
Sarah  E.  Cameron.  Then  it  goes  directly  west, 
crossing  [U.  S.j  Route  219  a mile  and  four-fifths 
south  of  the  square  in  Cherry  Tree.  After  ford- 
ing the  Susquehanna  River  to  Salt  Spring,  it 
runs  over  the  hill  to  the  Indiana-Cambria  line. 

1“The  Kittanning  Path:  Part  It,  Crossing  Cambria 

County  from  Its  Sunrise  to  Its  Sunset,”  Patton  (Pa.) 
Union  News-Courier,  May  20,  1954. 


Appendix  II 

HART’S  SLEEPING  PLACE1 
By  Henry  M.  Gooderham 


John  Hart  was  one  of  the  first  white  men  to 
travel  the  Kittanning  Path  in  Cambria  County, 
trading  with  the  Indians  under  license  granted 
him  in  1744.  He  had  two  important  meeting 
places  for  trade  with  the  Indians.  The  one,  in 
what  is  now  Alexandria,  Huntingdon  County, 
was  known  as  HART’S  LOG.  It  was  so  named 
because  Hart  had  hewed  out  a log  there  to  make 
a trough  to  feed  his  horses.  The  other,  in  Cam- 
bria County  on  the  Kittanning  Path  four  miles 
west  of  Chest  Creek  and  one  mile  east  of  Turkey 
Point  on  L.  R.  11049,  near  the  southwest  corner 
of  Elder  Township,  is  the  well-known  HART’S 
SLEEPING  PLACE. 

About  the  year  1936  a committee  of  the  Cam- 
bria County  Historical  Society  headed  by  Peter  J. 
Little,  Esq.,  now  deceased,  invited  the  relatives 


of  the  pioneer  settlers,  among  them  two  great- 
grandsons  of  Michael  Weekland,  who  had  settled 
at  Hart’s  Sleeping  Place  when  it  was  yet  a wilder- 
ness, to  meet  with  them  for  the  purpose  of  select- 
ing the  proper  place  to  erect  a marker.  A little 
later  Mr.  Little  had  a large  mountain  stone  set 
in  concrete  at  the  site  chosen  with  a tablet  which 
reads  as  follows: 

HART'S  SLEEPING  PLACE 

During  the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth 
century,  John  Hart,  an  Indian  trader,  on 
his  travels  along  the  Kittanning  Path,  fre- 
quently remained  overnight  at  this  place. 
Later  this  region  was  known  by  that  name. 

Erected  by  the  Cambria 
County  Historical  Society 
1 Ihe  Kittanning  Path,”  Patton  (Pa.)  Union  News- 
Courier,  May  13,  1954. 


196 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA,  APPENDIX  III 


Appendix  III 

THE  TWO  LICKS 


Written  on  the  back  of  Warrantee  Survey 
D 58-279,  which  shows  the  Two  Licks  on  the 
Frankstown  or  Kittanning  Path,  is  surveyor  John 
Taylor’s  account  of  how  he  succeeded  in  locating 
the  William  Kenly  tract.  Kenly,  it  seems,  had 
passed  this  way  on  Colonel  John  Armstrong’s 
expedition  against  the  Delaware  Indian  base  at 
Kittanning  during  the  French  and  Indian  War. 
Afterwards  he  applied  for  land  hereabouts,  de- 
scribing his  chosen  tract  with  no  more  precision 
than  that  it  lay  “on  a branch  of  two  lick  Creek 
about  two  miles  North  West  of  the  Two  Lick.” 
The  mixture  of  luck  and  logic  that  brought 
Taylor  to  the  Kenly  site  throws  light  not  only 
on  the  surveyor’s  problem  and  its  solution  but 
also  on  the  pathfinder’s. 

It  was  with  some  difficulty  [wrote 
Taylor]  that  I was  enabled  to  ascertain 
the  location  of  William  Kenly’s  warrant, 
the  description  being  so  very  indefinite 
and  no  claim  of  that  name  known  nor  any 
person  of  the  name  ever  known  in  the 
County  2 miles  North  West  of  the  Two 
Licks,  the  land  also  North  Westerly  of 
the  two  licks  for  a number  of  miles  round 
being  very  good,  and  surveyed  about  the 


years  1771-2-3  8c  4,  it  required  a strong 
effort  of  the  mind  to  believe  it  belonged 
to  any  particular  spot  in  the  terestrial 
globe,  and  neither  my  time  nor  the  fees 
allowed,  would  permit  an  excursion  to  the 
moon  to  see  if  it  could  be  found  there, 
I had  therefore  to  set  my  imagination  to 
work  and  endeavor  to  enter  into  the  feel- 
ings of  this  man  Kenly  when  he  con- 
ceived and  brought  forth  the  description 
contained  in  the  said  warrant.  I had  ac- 
cordingly to  imagine  myself  encamped 
with  Gen1  Armstrong  at  the  Two  licks  for 
a week,  then  marched  North  Westerly  to- 
wards Kittanning,  thought  of  nothing  but 
fighting  Indians  in  blood  to  my  knees  un- 
till I came  to  a branch  of  Two  Lick  creek 
about  2 miles  from  the  said  licks,  here 
being  a choice  piece  of  land  I concluded 
I would  secure  it  some  time  for  myself. 
Alter  my  return,  some  time  elapsed  be- 
fore I took  a warrant,  when  upon  reflec- 
tion, being  unaquainted  with  the  country, 
could  think  of  no  other  description  than 
that  contained  in  the  said  war1.  After  this 
course  of  reasoning  and  reflection  I con- 
cluded if  it  was  intended]  for  any  place 
in  the  world  it  was  that  upon  which  I 
have  laid  it.  John  Taylor 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA,  APPENDIX  III 


19 


TWO  LICKS  PATH 


198 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA,  APPENDIX  IV 


Appendix  IV 

THE  FORBES  ROAD 


THE  RAYSTOWN  PATH  was  turned  into  a 
military  road  in  1758  by  General  John 
Forbes  in  his  attempt  to  recover  the  disaster  of 
Braddock’s  Defeat. 


To  anyone  who  had  traveled  the  old  traders 
path  to  the  Forks  of  the  Ohio,  many  of  the 
names  of  camps  listed  by  John  Potts  in  his  map 
entitled  “General  Forbes  Marching  Journal  to 
the  Ohio”1  must  have  had  a familiar  ring: 


Loudon2 
Littleton 
Sideling  Hill 
Juniata  Crossings 
Fort  Bedford 
Shawanese  Cabins 
Allegheny  Mountain 
Edmund’s  Swamp 
Stoney  Creek 
Quemahoning  Cr. 
drowning  Cr.3 


Laurel  Hill 
Fort  Ligonier 
Chestnut  Ridge 
Redoubt  Camp 
Washington  Camp 
Branch  of  Turtle  Cr. 
Col.  Buquets 
Shanoppins 
Pittsburg 


It  will  be  observed  that  Forbes  did  not  take 
the  Three  Springs  route,  as  many  of  the  traders 
had  done.  Instead  he  went  through  Cowan  Gap 
to  Fort  Littleton,  from  there  west  through 
Hustontown,  and  “thence  by  a dirt  township 
road  that  parallels  and  runs  north  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania Turnpike,  to  the  foot  of  Sideling  Hill.”4 

Forbes’  rejection  of  the  Braddock  Route  was 
hotly  debated  by  his  military  staff.  Braddock, 
it  will  be  recalled,  had  taken  a southern  route 
with  a base  at  Cumberland,  Maryland.  This  was 
the  route  the  Virginians  with  Forbes— and  espe- 
cially young  George  Washington— strongly  fa- 
vored. It  had  the  advantage  of  having  been 
cleared  to  within  a few  miles  of  the  army’s  ob- 
jective. But  Forbes  had  good  reasons  for  insist- 
ing on  the  Pennsylvania  route.  It  was  not  so 
much  that  Colonel  James  Burd  had  cleared  a 
road  as  far  as  Raystown.  That,  indeed,  was  not 
of  any  great  consequence  because  the  most  for- 
midable mountain  obstacles  were  west  of  Rays- 
town: the  Allegheny  Mountain,  Laurel  Hill, 

and  Chestnut  Ridge.  The  real  advantages  of  the 
Pennsylvania  route  were  that:  (1)  it  was  shorter; 
(2)  Pennsylvania,  which  ranked  as  the  granary  of 


the  colonies,  had  more  wagons  than  her  southern 
neighbors  to  contribute  to  the  supply  train; 

(3)  it  escaped  the  more  dangerous  river  cross- 
ings; and  (4)  it  offered  better  forage  for  the 
horses. 

Colonel  Henry  Bouquet  directed  the  road 
work  in  advance  of  the  army.  Burd’s  Road  he 
found  to  be  nearly  impassable.  His  axmen 
cleared  it  and  in  places  cut  a new  way.  West  of 
Raystown  (Fort  Bedford)  a new  road  had  to  be 
built,  widening  the  old  bridle  path  used  by  the 
traders  or  cutting  a new  way  over  the  hills. 
Progress  was  slow.  In  June  Bouquet  had  pro- 
posed September  1 1 as  the  target  date  for  cap- 
ture of  the  French  fort.  Subsequent  weeks  de- 
stroyed any  hope  of  so  early  a triumph.  As  it 
turned  out,  the  army  did  not  reach  its  objective 
until  November  25,  and  then  only  by  a sudden, 
unexpected  turn  of  fortune. 

The  causes  of  delay  were  many,  but  above  all 
the  excessive  rains.  These  turned  the  new-made 
roads  into  quagmires  and  immobilized  the  army 
for  days  on  end.  Forbes  was  not  at  first  much 
disturbed  by  these  delays,  because  he  knew  what 
was  going  on  behind  the  scenes.  He  awaited  the 
results  of  the  Indian  conference  to  be  held  at 
Easton  in  October.  His  hopes  were  fulfilled 
when,  at  that  conference,  the  Delawares  made 
peace  with  Pennsylvania.  When  that  news  was 
taken  to  the  Ohio  country,  the  Delawares  and 
most  of  the  rest  of  France’s  Indian  allies  drifted 
away  and  left  the  French  at  Fort  Duquesne  to 
fend  for  themselves. 

But  the  defection  of  these  Indians  was  not  im- 
mediately known  to  General  Forbes,  and  mean- 
while the  morale  of  his  own  army  had  sunk 
low.  Cold  rains  continued  into  November.  The 
roads  were  impassable.  The  supply  system  broke 
down.  The  army  was  virtually  marooned  at 
Fort  Ligonier.  The  troops  were  without  winter 
clothing,  and  they  were  on  half  rations.  On  No- 
vember 11,  a Council  of  War  was  held  to  con- 
sider the  prospects.  It  was  decided  to  postpone 
the  attack  on  Fort  Duquesne  until  spring. 

But  the  next  day,  November  12,  a French 
soldier,  captured  in  a minor  engagement,  dis- 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA,  APPENDIX  IV 


199 


closed  the  wretched  situation  of  the  French  gar- 
rison at  Fort  Duquesne.  General  Forbes,  al- 
though he  was  suffering  from  a wasting  disease 
that  left  him  only  a few  more  weeks  to  live, 
seized  the  moment,  ordered  an  advance,  and 
in  three  days  dispatched  an  attacking  force  of 
2,500  men5  under  Bouquet,  Montgomery,  and 
Washington. 

In  haste— for  the  campaigning  season  was  draw- 
ing to  a close— a road  was  cut  over  Chestnut 
Ridge.  Small  military  posts  were  established  at 
the  Three  Redoubts,  Washington’s  Breastworks, 
and  Bouquet’s  Breastworks.  On  November  24, 
scouts  heard  explosions  in  the  direction  of  the 
Forks  and  saw  smoke  hanging  in  the  air.  Next 
day,  November  25,  the  British  troops  coming 
down  off  the  ridge  and  past  Shannopin’s  Town, 
found  only  the  ruins  of  Fort  Duquesne. 

Once  the  danger  of  enemy  raids  had  been  re- 
moved, a road  was  prepared  with  an  eye  to 
convenience  rather  than  security,  in  place  of 
Forbes’  long  ridge  route  by  way  of  Murrysville 
and  Universal,  the  southern  branch  of  the  Rays- 
town  Path  through  Harrison  City  was  adopted. 
This  road  came  to  be  known  as  the  South  Branch 
of  the  Forbes  Road. 

ft  was  by  this  route  that  Colonel  Bouquet  is 
believed  to  have  brought  his  wounded  to  Pitts- 
burgh after  the  Battle  of  Bushy  Run,  although 
an  interesting  local  tradition  has  him  turning 
north  on  to  the  Sewickley  Old  Town  Path  (now 
the  Haymaker  Road)  , which  meets  the  original 
Forbes  Road  at  the  breastworks  raised  by  Bou- 
quet in  1758. 


The  tradition  presents  a plausible  explana- 
tion of  the  long  time  (four  days)  it  took  Bouquet 
to  bring  his  army  the  twenty-five  miles  from 
Bushy  Run  to  Fort  Pitt;  though,  on  the  other 
hand,  the  difficulty  in  carrying  his  wounded 
might  be  sufficient  to  explain  the  delay  even  by 
the  shorter  route. 

The  Pennsylvania  Road— authorized  in  1785 
and  completed  in  181 8— followed  the  Forbes 
Road  from  Harrisburg.  But  all  along  the  way 
changes  were  made  to  improve  grades,  shorten 
the  distance,  and  serve  a developing  population. 
It  ran,  for  instance,  through  Greensburg  instead 
of  Hannastown,  and  it  took  the  south  branch 
of  the  Forbes  Road  through  Wilkinsburg.  The 
Guidebook  to  Historic  Places  in  Western  Penn- 
sylvania calls  it  “the  main  route  of  migration  for 
settlers  from  the  East  to  the  Ohio  Valley  in  the 
period  between  the  Revolutionary  War  and  the 
building  of  the  Erie  Canal  and  the  Pennsylvania 
Canal.”6 

1 Carnegie  Library,  Pittsburgh. 

2 About  a mile  and  a half  southeast  of  the  present  town 
of  Fort  Loudon. 

3 Drowning  Creek  was  another  name  for  Quemahoning 
Creek.  See  letter  from  Major  George  Armstrong  to  Colonel 
Henry  Bouquet,  dated  “Kickeny  pallens  [on]  Drounding 
Creek  26  July  1758,”  Papers  of  Henry  Bouquet  (Harris- 
burg, 1951)  , II,  280. 

4 Edward  J.  Williams,  “Samuel  Vaughan's  Journal,” 
The  Western  Pennsylvania  Historical  Magazine,  XLIV 
(1961)  , 168,  n.  32. 

5 Niles  Anderson,  “The  General  Chooses  a Road,”  The 
Western  Pennsylvania  Historical  Magazine,  XLII  (1959)  , 
392-93. 

6 (Pittsburgh,  1938),  161. 


200 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA,  APPENDIX  V 


Appendix  V 

GEORGE  WASHINGTON’S  PATH  TO  FORT  LE  BOEUF,  1753 
From  Pittsburgh  to  Waterford 


ON  FRIDAY,  NOVEMBER  30,  1753,  George 
Washington  left  Logstown  (eighteen  miles 
down  the  Ohio  from  Pittsburgh)  on  his  way  to 
Fort  Le  Boeuf  with  Virginia’s  summons  to  the 
French  to  leave  the  country. 

With  him  were  his  guide  and  mentor,  Christo- 
pher Gist;  the  Seneca  Half  King,  Tanacharison; 
Jeskakake;  White  Thunder,  alias  Tohashwuch- 
tonionty  or  the  Belt  of  Wampum;  Kiasutha,  “the 
hunter’’;  four  white  “servitors”;  and  two  inter- 
preters. 

The  weather  was  atrocious.  Warned  by  the 
Indians  that  “the  nearest  and  levellest  Way  was 
now  impassable,  by  Reason  of  many  large  mirey 
Savannas,”  the  party  took  what  was  to  Washing- 
ton the  unpalatable  route  by  way  of  Venango 
(Franklin)  , where  the  French  had  already  es- 
tablished a post  under  command  of  Capt. 
Philippe  Thomas  Joncaire,  Sieur  de  Chabert. 

On  leaving  Logstown,  Washington  plunged 
into  what  has  become  one  of  the  engaging  mys- 
teries of  historical  scholarship.  What  route  did 
he  follow?  He  and  his  party  emerged  safely  at 
Venango  on  December  4,  unaware  of  the  puzzle 
he  had  left  behind  for  future  historiographers 
to  dispute  over.  Leaving  Venango  on  December 
7,  and  again  unable  to  follow  the  usual  path 
from  Venango  to  Le  Boeuf,  he  made  an  un- 
scheduled detour  that  has  further  deepened  the 
mystery. 

An  examination  of  evidence  in  the  field  and  in 
the  library  has  led  the  present  writer  to  the  opin- 
ion that,  on  the  first  leg  of  his  journey,  Wash- 
ington followed  a path  running  through  present 
Zelienople,  Harmony,  Portersville,  Portersville 
Station,  West  Liberty,  and  Harrisville.  At  Harris- 
ville  his  path  joined  the  Venango  Path  (later 
the  Franklin  Road)  coming  up  from  the  Forks 
of  the  Ohio  (Pittsburgh)  . On  the  second,  from 
Venango  to  Fort  Le  Boeuf,  he  was  constrained 
by  the  floods  to  make  a wide  detour  from  the 
vicinity  of  Cambridge  Springs  to  Little  Cooley 
in  search  of  a safe  crossing  of  the  swamps  sur- 
rounding Muddy  Creek. 


To  trace  Washington’s  course,  one  must  first 
understand  the  unusual  conditions  under  which 
he  traveled.  Heavy  rains  flooded  the  streams, 
swelled  the  swamps,  and  made  the  customary 
paths  impassable. 

Washington’s  journal  opens  with  a splash: 
“The  excessive  Rains  and  vast  Quantity  of  Snow 
which  had  fallen,  prevented  our  reaching  Mr. 
Frazier’s,  an  Indian  Trader,  at  the  Mouth  of 
Turtle  Creek,  on  Monongahela  till  Thursday, 
the  22nd.”  Turtle  Creek,  he  found,  was  “quite 
impassable  without  swimming  the  Horses.”  In 
his  writing  he  dismissed  the  journey  from  Logs- 
town to  Venango  with  the  observation  that  there 
was  nothing  remarkable  about  it  “but  a con- 
tinued Series  of  bad  Weather.”  His  only  com- 
ment on  the  journey  from  Venango  to  Fort  Le 
Boeuf  was  that  they  were  delayed  “by  excessive 
Rains,  Snow.” 

It  will  be  convenient  to  consider  the  path  in 
two  sections:  first,  from  Logstown  to  Venango; 
second,  from  Venango  to  Fort  Le  Boeuf. 

A.  From  Logstown  to  Venango 

The  first  evidence  for  the  route  proposed  above 
comes  from  the  two  versions  of  Washington’s 
map  of  the  journey.  It  is  unnecessary  to  discuss 
which  one  of  the  maps  has  priority,  for  they  agree 
on  what  appear  to  be  the  three  essentials: 

1.  That  Washington’s  party  turned  away  from 
the  Ohio  at  an  Indian  village  known  as  the 
“Mingo  Town,”  which  stood  somewhere  be- 
tween Logstown  and  the  mouth  of  Beaver  Creek. 
There  were  two  historic  Mingo  towns  near  Logs- 
town: one  named  for  “the  Crow”  and  the  other 
for  John  Logan  (author  of  the  famous  “La- 
ment”) , both  of  whom  were  Ohio-country 
Iroquois  or  “Mingoes”  in  the  language  of  that 
day.  The  first  of  these  towns  was  at  the  mouth  of 
Crows  Run  in  the  vicinity  of  modern  Conway; 
the  second,  at  Rochester.  Which  of  these  places, 
or  whether  either  of  them,  was  called  Mingo 
Town  in  1753  we  do  not  know  for  sure.1 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA,  APPENDIX  V 


201 


2.  That  from  the  Mingo  Tozvn  to  Venango 
they  followed  a course  slightly  to  the  east  of 
north , the  only  variation  being  a bend  still  more 
eastwardly  for  a short  distance  at  the  crossing 
of  the  first  tributary  of  the  Beaver  noted  on  the 
map,  and,  following  that,  a correction  bearing 
north  for  a few  miles  before  swinging  back  to 
the  general  N.  N.  E.  course. 

3.  That  their  course  leaned  gradually  more  to 
the  east  after  passing  the  second  branch  of  the 
Beaver  as  shown  on  the  map.  It  maintained 
that  tendency  until,  approaching  Lacomick 
(Sandy)  Creek,  it  bore  north  for  the  creek  cross- 
ing and  then  swung  eastwardly  again  for  Ven- 
ango. 

It  will  be  observed  that  on  both  maps  the 
course  of  the  Beaver  River  from  the  Kuskuskies 
to  its  mouth  is  traced  inaccurately,  a circumstance 
that  indicates  Washington  was  roughing  it  in 
from  hearsay.  His  delineation  of  anything  he 
did  not  see  for  himself  is  tentative.  One  cannot 
trust  what  the  map  shows  of  the  path  in  relation 
to  things  he  did  not  see,  such  as  its  distance  at 
any  given  point  from  the  Beaver  River.  One 
can,  however,  trust  the  map  where  it  shows  the 
direction  of  the  path  itself,  as  also  the  direction 
in  which  rivers  and  creeks  were  flowing  at  the 
place  where  he  crossed  them.  One  would  expect 
him  to  be  reliable  in  his  compass  readings,  for 
he  was  not  only  an  experienced  traveler  but  also 
a professional  surveyor. 

The  route  proposed  here  for  Washington’s 
path  agrees  closely  with  his  map  in  the  three 
“essentials”  listed  above. 

The  journals  kept  by  Washington  and  Gist 
also  present  evidence,  three  items  of  which  are 
of  importance. 

1.  The  Half  King’s  report  that  “the  nearest 
and  levellest  Way  was  now  impassable  by  Rea- 
son of  many  large  mirey  Savannas,”  and  that 
they  must  in  consequence  go  round  by  way  of 
Venango. 

2.  Gist’s  estimate  of  the  miles:  15  the  first 
day  to  “Murtheringtown”  at  a creek  crossing; 

30  the  second  day  to  another  creek  crossing;  22 
the  third  day  to  the  crossing  of  the  head 
branches  of  the  Beaver  River;  and  15  the  fourth 
day  to  Venango. 


3.  The  fact  mentioned  by  Gist  that  they 
camped  the  second  night  at  a ford  where  the 
path  from  Kukuskies  to  Venango  crossed  a large 
creek. 

Consider  the  significance  of  these,  each  in 

turn: 

1.  It  is  learned  from  the  Half  King’s  report 
that  the  “nearest  and  levellest  Way”  from  Logs- 
town  to  Fort  Le  Boeuf  did  not  go  through 
Venango.  The  contour  maps  show  that  the  near- 
est way  from  Logstown  to  Fort  Le  Boeuf  would 
be  the  comparatively  level  route  through  Mercer 
and  Meadville,  and  thence  paralleling  French 
Creek.  There  must  have  been  such  a path— not, 
perhaps,  directly  to  Meadville  (the  Conneaut 
Marsh  being  difficult)  but  reaching  French 
Creek  a little  south  of  Conneaut  Outlet.  On 
Lewis  Evans’  map  of  1755,  a path  is  shown,  less 
direct  than  the  one  suggested  above,  but  level 
enough,  running  from  the  mouth  of  the  Beaver 
to  Kuskusky  (New  Castle)  and  Shenango  (West 
Middlesex) . From  there  it  is  shown  turning  east 
to  Venango.  From  the  point  of  turning,  there 
is  known  to  have  been  an  Indian  path  to  the 
mouth  of  Conneaut  Outlet.  Bishop  Roberts  in 
1796  traveled  part  of  it:  “An  old  Indian  path 
called  the  Kuskuskia  Path,  and  leading  from 
Cassewago  to  Kuskuskia,  a place  on  the  Beaver 
River.”2 

But  that  was  not  a path  to  be  used  in  a wet 
season.  The  country  it  crossed  was  afflicted  with 
“mirey  Savannas,”  as  a glance  at  the  contour 
map  will  confirm.  And  the  contour  map  does 
not  tell  the  whole  story.  Anyone  who  travels 
through  Lawrence  and  Mercer  counties  today 
will  find  even  the  uplands  pock-marked  w'ith 
swamps  too  small  to  be  shown  individually  on  a 
map  but  sufficient  en  masse  to  have  stopped  the 
horseback  traveler. 

The  Wisconsin  Glacier  was  the  prime  cause, 
and  it  must  here  be  introduced  into  the  argu- 
ment. At  one  time  it  covered  most  of  Lawrence 
and  Mercer  counties,  grinding  down  the  hills 
by  means  of  boulders  compressed  under  millions 
of  tons  of  ice,  and  gouging  out  small  saucer-like 
hollows  everywhere.  On  its  retreat,  some  twelve 
thousand  years  ago,  it  left  behind  “a  difficult 
terrain  of  swamps  and  marshes.”3  But  the  retreat- 
ing glacier,  though  it  had  ravaged  the  country 
and  rendered  it  unhealthy  for  Indian  paths,  left 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA,  APPENDIX  V 


WASHINGTON'S  SKETCH  MAP 

From  The  George  Washington  Atlas 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA,  APPENDIX  V 


203 


man  a remedy  to  use  at  his  discretion:  a terminal 
moraine  which,  even  after  all  these  thousands  of 
years,  provides  a firm,  dry  causeway  over  difficult 
terrain. 

The  terminal  moraine  of  the  Wisconsin  Gla- 
cier runs  south  from  Harrisville  to  the  town  of 
Slippery  Rock  and  thence  in  a general  southwest 
direction,  crossing  Muddy  Creek  at  Portersville 
Station.  Its  course  has  been  traced  with  precision 
by  Dr.  Frank  W.  Preston  of  the  Preston  Labora- 
tories at  Butler.  What  gives  this  moraine  histori- 
cal importance  is  that  it  provided  a well-drained 
pathway  for  travelers,  avoiding  on  the  one  hand 
the  swamp  lands  to  the  west  and  on  the  other 
the  flat,  silt-filled,  easily  flooded  valleys  to  the 
east. 

So  it  was  that  George  Washington’s  guides  in 
that  wet  season  of  November  and  December, 
1753,  were  able  to  avoid  both  Scylla  and  Charyb- 
dis:  the  marshy  paths  to  the  west  and  the  flooded 
Venango  Path  to  the  east.  The  Half  King’s  party 
followed  the  eastern  edge  of  the  terminal  mor- 
aine. 

At  the  beginning  of  this  inquiry  into  Washing- 
ton’s route,  and  before  the  Wisconsin  Glacier  had 
appeared  on  the  horizon,  the  writer  tested  the 
common  hypothesis  that  the  path  from  Logstown 
crossed  Brush  Creek  somewhere  between  Conway 
and  Evans  City  (perhaps  in  the  vicinity  of  Ogle)  , 
joining  the  Venango  Path  at  the  latter  place  and 
continuing  with  it  to  the  mouth  of  French  Creek. 
But  the  evidence  was  against  it.  For  one  thing, 
records  gathered  by  Dr.  William  J.  Mayer-Oakes, 
then  field  archeologist  of  the  Carnegie  Museum, 
failed  to  indicate  ground  evidence  such  as  is 
usually  turned  up  at  Indian  fords.  For  another, 
special  research  undertaken  in  connection  with 
the  present  study  by  Vincent  R.  Mrozoski,  secre- 
tary of  the  Society  for  Pennsylvania  Archaeology, 
and  by  his  co-worker,  Emil  Alam  of  Aliquippa, 
failed  to  discover  evidence  of  fords  where  the 
hypothetical  trail  called  for  them. 

One  rainy  day— the  weather  being  much  like 
what  Washington  had  encountered— the  writer 
traveled  up  the  Franklin  Road,  which  follows 
pretty  well  the  old  Venango  Path.  He  found 
Muddy  Creek  at  Isle  to  have  flooded  its  banks 
and  to  be,  at  such  a time,  apparently  unford- 
able.  “The  valley  is  so  flat  that  it  floods  at  the 
slightest  provocation,”  writes  Dr.  Preston.  “Not 


a single  building  in  all  its  length  is  built  on  the 
present  floor  of  Muddy  Creek”4  Washington’s 
Indian  friends  would  not  have  led  him  into  such 
difficulties.  They  must  have  taken  him  to  a cross- 
ing somewhere  else. 

Here  the  Wisconsin  Glacier  enters  Washing- 
ton’s story.  The  stones  and  gravel  of  the  terminal 
moraine  at  Portersville  Station  provide  Muddy 
Creek  with  an  excellent  ford.  Today  Pa.  488 
bridges  the  creek.  The  banks  are  firm  and  the 
stream  has  a good  hard  bottom. 

Dr.  Preston  has  something  to  say  about  the 
ford  at  this  place:  “At  Portersville  Station  the 
creek  is  down  on  sandstone,  and  you  couldn’t 
want  a better  foundation.  The  approaches  are 
a little  steep;  but  perhaps  before  the  white  man 
came,  vou  could  skirt  along  the  hillside  to  the 
east  and  reach  the  creek  bed  more  easily.  At  any 
rate,  it  presents  no  real  problem  for  a man  on 
foot  or  horseback.  The  main  objection  is  that 
the  creek  is  very  narrow  in  the  gorge  so  that  in 
times  of  flood  the  water  is  on  the  deep  side.  Nor- 
mally the  crossing  is  very  easy.  In  any  case,  you 
don’t  get  stuck  in  the  mud.” 

The  creek  narrows  at  this  point.  There  is  slack 
water  above  and  no  waterfall  below,  so  that  even 
in  time  of  flood  there  is  no  great  danger.  This 
is  not  a rocky  gorge  like  that  at  McConnell’s 
Mill,  where,  if  a man  tried  to  ford  Slippery  Rock 
Creek,  he  would  be  dashed  to  pieces. 

A few  yards  beyond  the  Muddy  Creek  ford,  a 
dirt  road,  which  probably  follows  the  path,  turns 
off  Pa.  488  toward  the  east.  It  passes  what  is  said 
to  be  an  Indian  camp  site  on  the  McDaniel  farm, 
climbs  a hill  and  runs  along  the  summit  of  the 
ridge  for  a little  distance,  and  then  comes  down 
into  the  valley  of  Hogue  Run.  Old-timers  say 
that  this  is  a dry  valley,  suitable  for  a year-round 
path.  The  grades  are  easy  and  there  is  a conven- 
ient middle  way  between  the  wet  valley  bottom 
and  the  steep  hillsides. 

There  is  a strong  local  tradition  that  this  is 
the  Indian  path.  On  the  road  near  the  head  of 
Hogue  Run,  the  writer  met  Harry  Carrothers, 
who  had  lived  a long  life  in  these  parts.  “My 
grandfather  told  me  that  this  was  once  an  Indian 
road,”  he  said,  volunteering  the  further  informa- 
tion from  the  same  source  that  Indians  used  to 
pass  this  way  going  north  by  way  of  West  Liberty 


204 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA,  APPENDIX  V 


WASHINGTON'S  PATH  TO  FT.  LE  BOEUF,  SOUTH 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA,  APPENDIX  V 


205 


to  the  ford  of  the  Slippery  Rock  at  Crolls  Mills 
and  so  on  to  an  Indian  “reservation.”  Asked  if 
this  latter  was  at  Cornplanter,  he  said  yes,  but 
where  these  Indians  came  from  in  the  south  he 
did  not  know.  Oliver  Ralston  of  Slippery  Rock, 
R.  D.,  remembered  being  told  that  the  Indians 
used  to  come  over  this  path  from  the  Kuskuskies. 

Where  exactly  Washington  crossed  Slippery 
Rock  Creek  is  not  certain,  since  there  are  many 
good  fords  in  the  vicinity  of  West  Liberty.  The 
Crolls  Mill  ford  was  probably  the  easiest  under 
normal  conditions,  but  it  might  not  have  been 
the  best  when  Washington  came  this  way.  The 
bank  on  the  north  side  is  said  to  flood  too  easily. 
It  may  be,  as  Harry  Carrothers  assured  me,  that 
in  the  old  days  the  north  bank  was  higher.  Be  that 
as  it  may,  there  were  other  good  fords  available. 
It  is  possible  that  Washington  and  his  party  rode 
up  to  Slippery  Rock  Ford  at  Dougherty’s  Mills, 
perhaps  on  farther  to  the  Pines,  or  to  the  ford 
now  popularly  known  as  Washington’s  Crossing. 
This  last  is  rather  deep,  but  it  has  good  firm 
banks,  a foundation  of  sand  and  rock,  and  a 
strong  local  tradition  that  this  is  where  Wash- 
ington crossed.  It  is  not,  however,  the  ford  that 
Douglas  Southall  Freeman  and  many  other 
writers  assign  to  him,  namely,  the  one  at  Keisters, 
higher  up  the  creek  where  Pa.  8 now  crosses, 
south  of  Branchton.  The  problem  is  not  impor- 
tant. It  is  enough  to  know  that  there  were  several 
good  fords  about  here  for  Washington’s  Indians 
to  choose  from.  What  matters  is  where  the  party 
went  after  they  had  crossed  the  creek. 

While  working  on  this  section  of  the  path  in 
1954,  the  writer  interviewed  a number  of  local 
residents,  in  particular  Oliver  Ralston  and 
Hiram  Grossman.  The  latter,  though  ninety- 
eight  years  of  age  at  the  time,  had  a keen  memory 
of  things  he  had  learned  from  his  grandfather 
in  childhood.  According  to  these  two  men,  the 
Indian  path,  after  fording  the  creek,  ran  beside 
it  for  some  distance  to  the  Bend,  and  then  joined 
the  Franklin  Road  south  of  Forestville.  Probably 
one  branch  of  the  path  did  go  that  way. 

Di.  Preston,  on  the  other  hand,  thinks  the 
path  rode  the  terminal  moraine  (which  lay  sev- 
eral miles  to  the  west  of  Forestville)  most  of  the 
way  from  West  Liberty  to  Harrisville  and  Wesley, 
passing  the  town  of  Slippery  Rock  on  its  way.  No 
doubt  Dr.  Preston  is  right  in  affirming  that  one 


branch  of  the  path  did  follow  the  moraine.  The 
Indians,  it  must  be  remembered,  were  accus- 
tomed to  use  different  paths  in  wet  and  dry 
seasons.  On  this  occasion,  Washington  would 
almost  certainly  take  the  path  best  suited  to  wet 
weather.  Following  the  terminal  moraine,  the 
crossing  would  have  been  at  Crolls  Mills. 

Yet  it  is  still  uncertain  whether  Washington 
used  that  ford.  The  fact  that  Gist’s  estimate  of 
the  miles  traveled  on  the  second  and  third  day 
from  Logstown  is  excessive,  suggests  that  for 
some  reason  the  party  had  to  make  a detour.  It 
is  possible  that  Washington  and  his  party  had 
planned  to  use  the  Crolls  Mills  ford  but,  find- 
ing the  north  bank  flooded,  traveled  upstream  in 
search  of  a better  crossing;  and,  after  fording  the 
creek,  doubled  back  to  get  on  to  the  moraine 
again  in  the  vicinity  of  the  town  of  Slippery 
Rock.  Such  a detour  would  explain  the  excess 
in  Gist’s  mileage. 

By  the  time  the  party  reached  the  site  of 
Harrisville,  they  were  certainly  on  the  well- 
known  Venango  Path  from  Pittsburgh.  They  fol- 
lowed it  through  Wesley,  Springville,  and  Hays 
Mill  to  what  is  now  Franklin. 

2.  Gist’s  estimate  of  the  miles  traveled  day 
by  day  is  good  evidence. 

“Friday,  30th  [November]  We  set  out  [from 
Logstown]  and  the  half  King  and  two  old  men, 
and  one  young  warrior,  with  us;  at  night  we 
encamped  at  the  Murthering  Town,  about  15 
miles,  on  a branch  of  great  Beaver  creek.  . . .”6 

If  Washington  left  the  Ohio  River  at  Crow’s 
Town  and  proceeded  directly  to  Zelienople, 
crossing  Brush  Creek  about  a mile  and  a half 
below  Unionville,  he  would  reach  what  is  known 
locally  as  “Washington’s  Spring”  in  the  out- 
skirts of  the  former  town  in  about  14  miles  and 
the  crossing  of  Connoquenessing  at  Harmony  a 
mile  farther  on,  making  the  day’s  journey  about 
15  miles,  which  is  what  Gist  said  it  was. 

The  name  “Murthering  Town”  in  itself  gives 
no  hint  where  the  town  was  situated.  The  only 
other  known  reference  to  it  is  too  indefinite.6 
The  name  is  usually  thought  to  have  been  coined 
by  Washington  and  Gist  in  reference  to  an  inci- 
dent that  occurred  not  far  from  the  town  on  the 
return  journey,  when  an  Indian  guide  shot  at 
them,  apparently  with  intent  to  kill.  There  is, 


206 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA,  APPENDIX  V 


however,  a more  likely  explanation.  In  the  Ohio 
region  there  was  an  Indian  known  among  traders 
as  “the  Murderer”  or  “the  Murdering  King.”7 
May  not  the  town  have  been  named  for  him? 
Such  an  origin  would  be  in  keeping  with  the 
custom  of  the  time:  Crow’s  Town,  Logan’s  Town, 
Beaver,  etc. 

Gist’s  itinerary  for  the  next  day,  unless  we 
accept  the  hypothetical  detour  mentioned  above, 
is  no  help.  He  says  they  made  30  miles.  The 
actual  distance  from  Harmony  (“Murthering 
Town”)  to  Crolls  Mills,  as  the  Indian  path  went, 
is  only  about  20  or  21  miles.  Is  it  possible 
that  Dr.  Mease,  in  making  his  transcript  from 
Gist’s  journal,  mistook  a 2 for  a 3? 

“Monday , 3'1  Dec.  We  set  out  and  traveled  all 
day,  encamped  at  night  on  one  of  the  head 
branches  of  great  Beaver  creek  about  22  miles.” 

The  words,  “one  of  the  head  branches  of  great 
Beaver  creek,”  suggest  a small  stream,  as,  indeed, 
it  would  have  to  be  whatever  route  Washington 
took,  for  “about  22  miles”  brings  one  to  within 
15  miles  of  Venango  and  close  to  the  divide  be- 
tween the  Allegheny  and  Beaver  drainages.  Pa.  8, 
about  three-quarters  of  a mile  below  Wesley, 
crosses  a busy  little  run  at  the  head  of  Wolf 
Creek,  which  flows  by  way  of  Slippery  Rock 
Creek  and  Connoquenessing  Creek  into  the 
Beaver  River.  Wolf  Creek,  where  the  road  now 
crosses  it,  is  small  enough  to  step  over,  but  it 
moves  with  gusto,  is  headed  in  the  right  direc- 
tion, and  flows  between  banks  that  are  dry,  shel- 
tered, and  excellent  for  camping.  From  Crolls 
Mills  to  this  stream  is  not  far  short  of  the  dis- 
tance Gist  gave,  if  we  assume  that  the  trail  fol- 
lowed the  terminal  moraine  of  the  Wisconsin 
Glacier  in  the  vicinity  of  the  town  of  Slippery 
Rock. 

“Tuesday,  5th.  Set  out,  about  15  miles,  to 
the  town  of  Wynango.  . . .” 

There  is  no  problem  here.  The  distance  from 
the  last  camping  place  below  Wesley  to  Franklin 
is  about  15  miles. 

3.  On  the  second  night  out  from  Logstoivn, 
according  to  Gist’s  Journal,  they  camped  beside 
what  we  know  must  have  been  Slippery  Rock 
Creek  at  the  place  where  the  path  from  the  Kus- 
kuskies  to  Venango  forded  it.  In  other  words, 
they  camped  at  Crolls  Mills.8 


Gist  does  not  say  that  that  is  where  the  party 
crossed  the  creek.  They  may  have  found  it  neces- 
sary, as  already  noted,  to  cross  higher  up.  But 
his  statement  is  useful  in  telling  us  that  Washing- 
ton met  the  Indian  path  from  the  west  at  this 
fording  place. 

It  should  be  mentioned  that  Washington  on 
his  map  shows  the  second  creek  (presumably 
the  one  at  which  he  met  the  path  from  the  west) 
flowing  into  the  Beaver  at  Kuskuskies.  Slippery 
Rock  Creek,  as  a matter  of  fact,  enters  the  Bea- 
ver some  miles  below.  It  is  the  Neshannock  that 
enters  the  Beaver  at  Kuskuskies.  But  it  must  be 
remembered  that  Washington  had  not  been  to 
Kuskuskies  and  that  he  had  no  personal  knowl- 
edge of  the  topography  thereabouts.  It  has  been 
noted  already  that  he  was  in  error  in  tracing  the 
course  of  the  Beaver,  showing  it  as  flowing  south- 
west instead  of  southeast.  A further  error  in  sup- 
posing Slippery  Rock  Creek  to  enter  the  Beaver 
at  Kuskuskies  (no  doubt  he  had  heard  that  in 
this  vicinity  three  large  streams  came  together) 
seems  under  the  circumstances  not  out  of  the  way. 

To  recapitulate:  There  was  an  Indian  path 
from  Logstown  through  Zelienople,  Harmony, 
Portersville,  Portersville  Station,  West  Liberty, 
Harrisville,  and  Wesley,  to  Venango.  It  was  a 
dry  path,  using  the  glacier  moraine  and  therefore 
suitable  for  use  in  times  of  rain  and  flood.  The 
fords  on  this  path  were  good,  especially  at  Muddy 
Creek.  The  route  proposed  is  supported  by  a 
strong  body  of  local  tradition.  Its  compass  direc- 
tions agree  substantially  with  Washington’s  map, 
and  the  distances  covered  agree  (with  one  possi- 
ble exception)  with  those  noted  by  Christopher 
Gist. 

B.  From  Venango  to  Fort  Le  Boeuf 

North  of  Venango,  which  Washington  and  his 
party  left  on  December  7,  nature  proved  less 
accommodating  than  she  had  been  earlier  in  pro- 
viding the  assistance  of  the  Wisconsin  Glacier. 
French  Creek  at  the  “big  crossing”  was  found  to 
be  impassable,  and  the  swamps  adjacent  to  Craw- 
lord  County’s  Muddy  Creek  took  an  extra  day 
to  negotiate.  The  waters  even  of  the  lesser 
streams  were  so  swollen  that  they  were  unford- 
able.  The  travelers  had  to  swim  the  horses  and 
carry  the  baggage  across  on  tree  trunks.  They 
did  not  reach  the  French  fort  until  December  11. 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA,  APPENDIX  V 


207 


That  they  lost  half  a day  at  each  of  these  tree 
crossings  is  not  surprising,  for  there  were  now- 
sixteen  men  in  the  party,  with  horses,  food,  and 
equipment.  There  had  been  twelve  when  they 
left  Logstown:  Washington  and  his  guide,  Chris- 
topher Gist;  four  “servitors”;  four  Iroquois  In- 
dians—the  Half  King  (Tanacharison)  , White 
Thunder,  Jeskakake,  and  Kiasutha;  two  inter- 
preters, Jacob  van  Braam  and  John  Davison. 
On  leaving  Venango,  the  party  was  increased  by 
a French  military  escort  consisting  of  Quarter- 
master La  Force  and  three  soldiers. 

It  took  them  five  days  (not  four,  as  Douglas 
Southall  Freeman  asserts)  9 to  travel  from  Ven- 
ango to  Fort  Le  Boeuf.  On  December  7 they 
crossed  French  Creek  a little  above  the  present 
Thirteenth  Street  bridge  in  Franklin,  turned  left 
along  the  bottom  lands  for  a mile,  and  then  as- 
cended a shoulder  of  Oak  Hill  to  escape  the 
precipice  that  borders  the  creek.  Five  miles  from 
Venango  they  reached  Sugar  Creek,  probably  at 
a point  opposite  the  mouth  of  Warden  Run. 
Finding  the  water  too  deep  for  fording,  they 
swam  the  horses,  carried  the  baggage  over  on 
trees,  and  camped  for  the  night. 

Next  day,  following  a fairly  straight  course 
over  undulating  hills  to  what  is  now  Carlton, 
and  from  there  paralleling  French  Creek  (at  no 
great  distance)  through  present  Cochranton  and 
Shaws,  they  made  twenty-five  miles  and  reached 
the  Indian  town  of  Cussewago  (Meadville)  . 

It  is  at  this  point  that  doubts  arise  about  the 
route.  It  has  been  suggested  that  Washington’s 
party,  after  leaving  Cussewago,  crossed  French 
Creek  near  what  is  now  Cambridge  Springs  and 
went  on  up  the  west  side.  (See  Plate  29  in  The 
George  Washington  Atlas.)10  That  is  certainly 
an  error,  for  both  Washington  and  Gist  assert  in 
their  journals  that  they  tried  to  cross  French 
Creek  on  this  leg  of  their  journey  but  failed  to 
do  so. 

It  has  been  suggested  also  that  the  party  tried 
to  ford  French  Creek  at  a “big  crossing"  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  present  town  of  Venango,  which 
is  about  ten  miles  north  of  Meadville.  That 
there  was  some  such  ford,  used  by  the  French,  is 
shown  on  Nicolas  Beilin’s  map  of  1755,  based  on 
surveys  by  Le  Mercier  and  others.  But  such  a 
crossing  is  not  hinted  at  in  Washington’s  and 


Gist’s  journals.  Gist  asserted  that  the  crossing 
they  came  to  was  “about  fifteen  miles”— not  nine 
or  ten— from  Cussewago. 

Admitting  that  Washington  and  his  party  were 
forced  to  keep  to  the  east  of  French  Creek,  some 
authorities  would  have  them  cross  Muddy  Creek 
near  its  mouth,  in  which  case  the  sixteen  men 
with  their  horses  w'ould  have  had  to  steer  a 
dangerous  way  through  long  stretches  of  marsh. 
As  if  to  add  to  the  confusion,  Washington’s  map 
of  the  journey,  whatever  version  of  it  be  used, 
fails  to  show  accurately  where  they  went  at  this 
stage.  Most  scholars  concerned  with  his  itinerary 
bring  in  the  dens  ex  machina,  pick  up  Washing- 
ton at  Venango,  and  set  him  down  straightway 
at  Fort  Le  Boeuf. 

The  problem  of  his  route  is  not,  however,  in- 
soluble. It  is  the  opinion  of  the  present  writer, 
after  examining  the  ground,  studying  maps  and 
journals,  and  conferring  with  local  people  famil- 
iar with  the  Muddy  Creek  marsh,  that  Washing- 
ton and  his  party,  unable  to  use  the  “big  cross- 
ing” in  the  vicinity  of  Cambridge  Springs,  made 
a detour  that  brought  them  as  far  east  as  the 
present  Little  Cooley,  where  they  picked  up  a 
good  path  over  the  hills  to  Fort  Le  Boeuf. 

Gist’s  statement  of  miles  traveled  on  the  last 
two  days  (eight  miles  on  the  detour,  fifteen  miles 
from  their  crossing  of  Muddy  Creek  to  Fort  Le 
Boeuf)  fits  this  route  well. 

For  futher  evidence,  see  first  of  all  the  journals 
of  Washington  and  Gist.  Washington  dismissed 
the  unpleasant  five  days  between  Venango  and 
Le  Boeuf  in  two  sentences: 

7th.  . . . At  11  o’clock  we  set  out  for  the 
Fort,  and  were  prevented  from  arriving 
till  the  11th  by  excessive  Rains,  Snows,  and 
bad  Travelling,  through  many  Mires  and 
Swamps.  These  we  were  obliged  to  pass, 
to  avoid  crossing  the  Creek,  which  was  im- 
possible, either  by  fording  or  rafting,  the 
Water  was  so  high  and  rapid.11 

What  Washington  remembered  best  about  that 
part  of  the  journey  was  that  they  were  defeated  in 
their  attempt  to  cross  French  Creek  at  the  usual 
fording  place.  Gist  is  even  more  explicit: 

Sunday  9.— We  set  out  [from  Cusse- 
wago], left  one  of  our  horses  here  that 
could  travel  no  further.  This  day  we  trav- 
elled to  the  big  crossing,  about  fifteen 


208 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA,  APPENDIX  V 


miles,  and  encamped,  our  Indians  went 
out  to  look  out  logs  to  make  a raft;  but 
as  the  water  was  high,  and  there  were 
other  creeks  to  cross,  we  concluded  to  keep 
up  this  side  the  creek. 

Monday  10.— Set  out,  travelled  about 
eight  miles,  and  encamped.  Our  Indians 
killed  a bear.  Here  we  had  a creek  to  cross, 
very  deep;  we  got  over  on  a tree,  and  got 
our  goods  over. 

Tuesday  1 1.— We  set  out,  travelled  about 
fifteen  miles  to  the  French  fort,  the  sun 
being  set.12 

Washington’s  map  of  the  journey13  supports, 
in  general,  the  evidence  of  the  journals.  It  shows 
the  path  from  Cussewago  keeping  east  of  French 
Creek  until  the  final  crossing  near  present  Water- 
ford. It  must  be  observed  that  the  first  creek 
crossing  shown  on  the  map  north  of  Cussewago  is 
Muddy  Creek.  The  second  is  French  Creek. 

Further  evidence  in  support  of  this  route  is 
found  in  Christopher  Gist’s  mileages.  He  was 
an  experienced  traveler  in  the  woods  and  is  usu- 
ally a good  judge  of  distances.  When  he  says  that 
the  “big  crossing’’  of  French  Creek  was  “about 
fifteen  miles”  from  Cussewago,  we  have  some- 
thing to  work  on.  If  an  arc  be  drawn  with  its 
center  at  Meadville  and  with  a radius  of  some- 
what less  than  fifteen  miles  to  take  into  account 
the  vagaries  of  the  trail,  it  will  be  found  to  touch 
French  Creek  a little  east  of  the  present  town 
of  Cambridge  Springs,  somewhere  in  the  vicinity 
of  what  is  known  locally  as  the  Third  Sand  Bar, 
a few  hundred  yards  above  the  Erie  Railroad 
trestle  bridge.  Here  the  creek  has  a hard  bottom 
and  good,  firm  approaches.  In  normal  weather 
it  would  be  fordable.  But  the  banks  on  the  north 
side  are  low  and,  in  extreme  weather,  subject  to 
flooding. 

Support  for  the  view  that,  although  there 
were  other  possible  crossings,  the  one  referred  to 
by  Gist  was  east  of  Cambridge  Springs  and  at  or 
near  the  Third  Sand  Bar  is  found  in  the  Hutch- 
ins-Johnson  map  of  1764,  from  which  detail  is 
here  sketched. 

Washington  and  his  party,  unable  to  use  the 
normal  crossing  of  French  Creek,  had  to  make  a 
long  detour  to  avoid  the  marshes  that  guarded 
the  lower  course  of  Muddy  Creek.  They  lost  a 
day  over  this.  The  marsh  has  since  been  partially 
drained,  but  it  is  still  dangerous  if  one  leaves  the 


WASHINGTON'S  PATH  TO  FT.  LE  BOEUF,  NORTH 

roads,  which  are  built  on  artificially  raised 
ground. 

The  first  good  crossing  was  where  the  town  of 
Little  Cooley  stands  today.  That  is  the  conclu- 
sion the  present  writer  came  to  after  scouting 
about  for  several  days  in  the  neighborhood  look- 
ing for  good  fords.  It  is  also  the  opinion  of  local 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA,  APPENDIX  V 


209 


men  who  have  known  the  swamp  from  child- 
hood, in  particular  C.  }.  Holcomb  ot  Little 
Cooley,  whom  I met  on  July  20,  1960,  and  of 
Vernon  Landers,  whom  I called  upon  next  day 
at  Foxburg  Corners  in  Rockdale  Township. 

Mr.  Holcomb  said,  “If  Washington  came  from 
Meadville  or  Cambridge  Springs,  this  is  the  first 
place  he  could  cross  Muddy  Creek.” 

Mr.  Landers,  who  was  within  a few  days  of  his 
ninetieth  birthday  when  I interrupted  him  at 
work  in  his  cornfield,  talked  about  younger  days 
when  he  had  hunted  and  trapped  all  over  the 
swamp.  “I  could  take  you  through  places  now,” 
he  said,  “where  no  one  else  could  come  through 
alive.”  He  had  not  heard  of  Washington’s  visit 
to  these  parts,  but  he  was  interested  in  his  prob- 
lem: how  to  get  safely  past  the  swamps  of  Muddy 
Creek. 

“In  my  estimation,”  said  Mr.  Landers,  “know- 
ing what  I know  of  these  swamps,  they  would 
have  had  to  go  by  Cooley  if  they  crossed  to  this 
[the  north]  side.  It  would  be  impossible  in  a 
wet  season  until  they  got  to  Cooley.” 

Little  Cooley  holds  the  key  to  Washington’s 
route.  In  normal  seasons,  there  are  several  good 
fords  here.  Even  in  bad  weather  the  creek  is  al- 
most always  fordable  at  the  east  end  of  town, 
where  there  is  a hard,  pebbly  bottom  and  the 
banks  are  high  and  firm.  Besides  that,  Little 
Cooley  is  in  line  with  Gist’s  mileages.  They 
traveled,  wrote  Gist,  “about  eight  miles”  from 
the  “big  crossing”  to  the  “very  deep”  creek  which 
they  crossed  on  a tree.  From  the  Third  Sand  Bar 
it  is  about  eight  and  a half  miles  to  the  east  end 
of  Little  Cooley.  From  camp  at  the  deep  creek, 
Gist  estimated  it  to  be  “about  fifteen  miles  to 
the  French  fort.”  As  nearly  as  can  be  calculated, 
it  is  fifteen  miles  by  trail  from  Little  Cooley  to 
the  site  of  Fort  Be  Boeuf  at  Waterford. 

North  of  Little  Cooley  the  terrain  is  good— 
unusually  good  for  travelers  over  this  swamp- 
pocked  countryside.  At  Little  Cooley  the  party 
picked  up  a good  trail,  one  later  followed  in  part 
by  the  Bald  Eagle-to- Waterford  Road.  Their 
path  at  that  season  probably  crossed  Muddy 
Creek  about  where  the  bridge  now  spans  it  on 
Highway  77  from  Meadville.  The  path  ran  east 
for  about  half  a mile  to  avoid  low,  wet  ground, 
and  then  changed  direction  to  a north-northwest 


course  over  firm  ground  for  twelve  miles  to  the 
crossing  of  French  Creek  three  miles  south  of 
Fort  Le  Boeuf.  At  points  here  and  there  along 
this  last  fifteen  miles,  local  tradition  claims  Wash- 
ington to  have  passed  that  way. 

To  consider  this  day’s  journey  in  more  detail, 
it  would  be  reasonable  to  suppose,  judging  from 
the  terrain  alone,  that  the  path  crossed  Federal 
Run  near  what  is  now  known  as  Bidwell’s  Cem- 
etery. Thence  it  went  on  to  Crabs  Corners  and 
over  Brown  Hill  and  Mackey  Hill.  It  crossed 
Kelly  Run,  which  separates  the  two  hills,  very 
probably  where  a winding  dirt  road  now  crosses 
it  about  two  and  a half  miles  north  of  Ferris 
Corners,  thus  avoiding  the  marshy  patch  trav- 
ersed by  the  modern  Waterford  highway.  Keep- 
ing on  the  highlands  east  of  Mill  Village,  Wash- 
ington probably  forded  French  Creek  at  the  In- 
dian village  site  about  a quarter  of  a mile  above 
the  present  highway  bridge.  This  would  give 
him  higher  and  drier  ground.  But  the  path  soon 
came  down  to  the  flats  which  provide  the  only 
approach  to  Waterford  from  the  south. 

It  might  be  objected  to  the  Little  Cooley  route 
that  when  Washington  wrote  in  his  journal  of 
“bad  Travelling  through  many  Mires  and 
Swamps,”  he  meant  to  say  that  the  party  passed 
through  the  great  swamp  at  Muddy  Creek.  But 
that  is  not  a necessary  inference.  The  word  many 
gives  the  key  to  his  meaning.  Many  small 
marshes  infest  this  region  wherever  one  turns, 
on  the  highlands  no  less  than  in  the  low  spots. 
It  is  a legacy  of  the  glacier  which  departed  only 
yesterday,  as  geologic  time  is  reckoned. 

A further  objection  to  the  Little  Cooley  route 
might  be  drawn  from  Washington’s  map,  which 
does  not  show  the  detour.  Although  it  does  in- 
dicate accurately  enough  the  general  direction 
taken  by  the  travelers,  it  fails  to  suggest  that  the 
party  so  much  as  approached  French  Creek  at 
this  stage  of  the  journey.  That  may  have  been 
because  of  the  map's  military  purpose.  It  was 
intended  as  a guide  to  others,  and,  indeed,  for 
some  years  to  come  it  was  the  best  map  the  Brit- 
ish had  of  this  section  of  the  country  and  was 
frequently  copied.  It  would  be  only  natural  that 
Washington,  understanding  what  use  the  British 
Empire  would  make  of  his  work,  should  try  to 
avoid  confusion  by  eliminating  reference  on  the 
map  to  his  own  mishaps. 


210 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA,  APPENDIX  V 


What  is  important  is  not  what  is  missing  from 
the  map  but  what  it  contains.  It  shows  the  cross- 
ing of  Muddy  Creek  to  have  been  made  at  a 
point  some  miles  above  its  mouth.  It  also  shows 
(in  the  strokes  used  to  represent  marshes)  what 
Washington  saw  from  the  summits  of  Brown  and 
Mackey  hills.  Anyone  can  see  the  same  today 
if  he  follows  Washington’s  route:  on  the  left 
hand  (facing  northwest)  a swamp  extending  for 
miles  along  Muddy  Creek  and  French  Creek;  on 
the  right,  smaller  swamps  at  the  head  of  Federal 
Run  and  other  streams.  The  path  kept  to  the 
highland  between  them. 

A curious  local  tradition— which,  if  there  is 
truth  in  it,  supports  the  Little  Cooley  route— is 
attached  to  the  last  lap  of  Washington’s  journey. 
The  writer  was  introduced  to  it  by  Mr.  Harry 
Raber  White,  who  lives  between  Eaton  Corners 
and  Crabs  Corners  in  Rockdale  Township.  On 
Washington’s  way  north,  so  the  story  runs,  one 
of  his  men  died  and  was  buried  beside  the  path 
on  the  west  bank  of  Federal  Run,  at  Bidwell’s 


DETAIL  SKETCH  FROM  THE  HUTCHINS-JOHNSON 
MAP  OF  1764. 

Courtesy,  William  L.  Clements  Library 


Cemetery  (named  for  a later  inhabitant)  . The 
presence  of  that  early  grave  of  1753  is  said  to 
have  suggested  to  incoming  settlers  that  the  place 
be  set  aside  as  a free  public  burial  ground,  and 
such  it  remained  for  many  years.  Mr.  White  took 
me  to  see  the  spot,  on  the  high  bank  of  the  run 
where  it  emerges  from  its  gorge  among  the  hills. 

Lou  Geer  of  Athens  Township,  from  whom 
Mr.  White  had  the  story,  is  dead:  but  Harold 
Geer,  his  son,  whom  I interviewed  on  July  19, 
1960,  remembers  being  told  that  “the  trail  crossed 
Federal  Run  at  the  graveyard,  where  one  of 
Washington’s  men  died  and  was  buried.  I had 
this,”  he  added,  “from  my  grandfather,  A1  [Al- 
bert] Geer,  who  settled  here  a long  time  ago.” 

Charles  L.  Blystone  of  Titusville  reports  that 
his  grandmother  long  ago  said  to  him,  “You 
know,  they  buried  one  of  his  [Washington’s] 
men  between  here  [Cambridge  Springs]  and  Fort 
Le  Boeuf.” 

There  is  evidence  in  Washington’s  journal 
tending  to  corroborate,  if  only  in  a negative  way, 
the  tradition.  Washington  noted  in  his  journal 
that  at  Will’s  Creek  he  engaged  four  “servitors”: 
Barnaby  Currin,  John  MacQuire,  William  Jenk- 
ins, and  Henry  Steward.  He  mentioned  only 
three  as  leaving  Fort  Le  Boeuf  with  the  horses: 
“Barnaby  Currin  and  two  others.”14  John  Mac- 
Quire  and  William  Jenkins  turned  up  again  with 
Washington  on  the  Fort  Necessity  campaign.  “Of 
Steward,”  writes  Hugh  Cleland  in  Washington 
hi  the  Ohio  Valley,  “nothing  is  known.”15 

It  may  seem  strange  that  Washington,  even  in 
the  haste  with  which  his  journal  was  composed, 
should  have  failed  to  mention  the  death  of  one 
of  his  men.  On  the  other  hand,  it  should  be 
remembered  that  he  was  writing,  not  a trave- 
logue, but  a report  on  diplomatic  and  military 
affairs  for  Williamsburg  and  London.  All  in 
all,  despite  Washington’s  silence  in  the  matter, 
one  cannot  help  wondering  how  well  Henry 
Steward  kept  his  health. 

On  his  return,  Washington  descended  French 
Creek  by  canoe.  From  Venango  he  had  planned 
to  travel  on  horseback,  but  he  found  the  crea- 
tures so  exhausted  that  he  could  make  better 
time  on  foot.  Accordingly  he  and  Gist  left  the 
party  and  struck  off  by  themselves.  At  the  Mur- 
dering Town  they  picked  up  an  Indian  guide, 


INDIAN  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA,  APPENDIX  V 


who  proceeded  to  mislead  them  and  attempt  to 
kill  them.  Having  got  rid  of  him,  but  fearing 
pursuit,  they  took  compass  direction  and  trav- 
eled day  and  night  toward  the  Forks  of  the  Ohio. 

It  is  impossible  to  trace  their  route.  They  fol- 
lowed no  path,  and  we  know  neither  from  what 
point  they  started  on  their  compass  course  nor 
where  they  reached  the  Allegheny  River.  We 
know  only  that  they  built  a raft,  that  Washing- 
ton fell  off  among  the  blocks  of  floating  ice,  that 
they  reached  an  island  and  spent  a night  on  it  in 
frozen  clothes,  and  that  in  the  morning  they 
walked  ashore  on  the  ice.  At  Fraser’s  they  got 
fresh  horses,  and  on  fanuary  16,  1754,  Washing- 
ton delivered  to  Governor  Dinwiddie  the  reply 
of  the  French  commandant  at  Fort  Le  Boeuf. 
The  stage  was  now  set  for  the  French  and  Indian 
War. 

FOR  THE  MOTORIST 

The  quickest  and  easiest  way  to  follow  Wash- 
ington’s general  route  (coming  close  upon  it  at 
Logstown,  Crow’s  Town,  Zelienople,  Portersville, 
the  crossing  of  Muddy  Creek,  Venango,  Cusse- 
wago,  and  Little  Cooley)  is  to  take  Pa.  65  north 
from  Ambridge  through  Legionville  (Logstown) 
to  Conway.  There  turn  right  (east)  on  L.  R.  992 
and  follow  it  for  a little  over  a mile.  Then  turn 
left  (north)  on  Pa.  989  and  follow  it  to  its  junc- 
tion with  Pa.  68.  Turn  right  (northeast)  on  68 
and  follow  it  to  its  junction  with  U.  S.  19  at 
Zelienople.  A side  trip  for  about  a mile  to  the 
east  will  bring  you  to  Harmony. 

From  Zelienople  follow  U.  S.  19  north  to  Por- 
tersville. At  the  fork  a few  hundred  yards  north 
of  Portersville,  take  the  road  to  the  right  (Pa. 
188)  and  follow  it  for  2y^  miles  to  the  crossing 
of  Muddy  Creek  on  the  terminal  moraine  of  the 
Wisconsin  Glacier.  In  about  a hundred  yards  or 
so  beyond  this  crossing,  turn  right  on  a country 
lane  and  follow  its  windings  in  a northeasterly 
direction  over  a wooded  hill  and  down  by  Hogue 
Run  to  West  Liberty.  There  pick  up  L.  R.  10101 
and  follow  it  across  Slippery  Rock  Creek  at  Crolls 
Mills  and  north  to  the  town  of  Slippery  Rock. 
At  Slippery  Rock  turn  right  (east)  on  Pa.  108 
and  follow  it  for  between  3 and  4 miles  to  its 
junction  with  Pa.  8.  Follow  the  latter  through 
Harrisville  and  Wesley  (Mechanicsville)  to 
Franklin.  The  zigzag  course  of  these  roads  is 


21  1 

less  direct  than  the  route  of  the  old  Indian  path, 
but  it  wdl  give  you  a fair  picture  of  the  terrain. 

From  Franklin  take  U.  S.  322  and,  if  you  are  in 
a hurry,  continue  with  it  as  far  as  Meadville.  If, 
however,  you  wish  to  be  closer  to  the  old  path 
(which  322  parallels  at  a little  distance)  , leave 
322  at  Wyattville.  There,  after  crossing  Sugar 
Creek,  turn  immediately  left  (south)  and  follow 
the  bank  of  the  creek  for  about  $/  mile.  After 
crossing  a run,  turn  right  and  follow  a winding 
country  road  through  the  woods  and  up  Butter- 
milk Hill.  On  reaching  the  summit,  bear  right 
and  follow  the  road  northwest  for  about  6 miles 
to  its  junction  with  322.  Follow  322  through 
Carlton  and  Cochranton  to  Meadville  (Cusse- 
wago) . 

At  Meadville  take  Pa.  86  north  to  Cambridge 
Springs.  There  turn  right  on  Pa.  408  and  follow 
it  for  about  8 miles  to  its  junction  with  Pa.  77, 
which  will  take  you  northeast  to  Little  Cooley. 

Washington’s  path  probably  crossed  Muddy 
Creek  at  the  east  end  of  Little  Cooley,  about 
where  77  crosses  today.  But  to  follow  his  path 
at  all  closely  from  this  point  by  automobile  is 
difficult.  The  motorist  will  have  to  be  content 
with  a general  view,  taking  L.  R.  20081  north 
from  Little  Cooley  to  Crabs  Corners,  passing 
Bidwell  Cemetery  on  the  way  (keeping  it  two 
or  three  hundred  yards  to  the  east) . At  Crabs 
Corners  he  will  be  back  on  the  path.  From  this 
point,  however,  the  path  continued  in  the  same 
direction  across  country  by  a route  no  modern 
road  follows  continuously.  The  motorist  is  ad- 
vised to  inquire  his  way  to  Mackey  Hill  Church, 
where  he  will  be  back  on  the  path— only  to  lose 
it  again  in  about  i/2  mile.  The  best  course  is  to 
take  L.  R.  20078  (which  becomes  25035  on  enter- 
ing Erie  County)  , and  follow  it  and  its  continua- 
tion, L.  R.  25039,  to  Waterford  (Fort  Le  Boeuf)  . 

1 "George  Croghan’s  Journal  1759-1763,”  Nicholas  B. 
Wainwright,  ed.,  Pennsylvania  Magazine  of  History  and 
Biography,  LXXI,  351.  September  12,  1759:  "The  Crow 
with  about  26  Indians  of  the  Six  Nations  came  here  & 
petitioned  for  some  Cloathing,  Powder,  & Lead,  and  ac- 
quainted me  that  they  intended  to  settle  at  the  mouth  of 
Beaver  Creek.”  Does  this  mean  that  Crow  and  his  retinue 
were  moving,  in  1759,  from  the  Conway  to  the  Rochester 
site? 

“Charles  Elliott,  Life  of  the  Rev.  Robert  R.  Roberts 
(N.  Y„  1844)  , 37-38. 

8 Dr.  Frank  W.  Preston,  "The  Glacial  Foreland,”  The 
Ruffed  Grouse  (Audubon  Society,  No.  2,  1948)  , 6-17. 

4 Ibid. 


IXDIA.X  PATHS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA 


212 

5 "Journal  of  Mr.  Christopher  Gist.  . . in  the  Massa- 
chusetts Historical  Collections,  Third  Series,  V (1836)  , 
101-108.  Communicated  by  James  Mease,  M.  D.,  of  Phila- 
delphia, who  obtained  it  from  Judge  Shippen  of  Frank- 
lin, Venango  County.  The  extracts  printed  here  are  taken 
directly  from  Dr.  Mease's  manuscript  version,  by  courtesy 
of  the  Massachusetts  Historical  Society. 

6 Kenneth  P.  Bailey,  The  Ohio  Company  Papers,  1753- 

1817  (Areata,  Cal.,  1947),  151:  John  Owens,  Apr.  26, 

1756,  "1  horse  taken  at  the  Murdering  Town.” 

7 Ibid.,  94.  132. 

8 Local  tradition  insists  that  the  path  from  Kuskuskies 
to  Venango  crossed  the  Slippery  Rock  twice  (thus  avoid- 
ing the  swamps  about  Wolf  Creek)  : once  at  Allens  Mill 
and  again  at  Crolls  Mills.  At  Allens  Mill,  the  descent  to 
the  creek  from  the  east  appears  at  first  sight  too  precipi- 
tous to  be  feasible;  but  the  cliff  at  this  point  has  a break 


in  it,  unnoticed  on  the  map,  through  which  to  this  day  a 
path  descends  easily.  The  ford  itself  is  good:  shallow, 
with  a solid  rock  bottom  and  slack  water. 

8 George  Washington:  A Biography  (New  York,  1948) , 
I,  307-308. 

10  Lawrence  Martin,  ed.  (Washington,  D.  C.,  1932). 

11  Hugh  Cleland,  George  Washington  in  the  Ohio  Val- 
ley (Pittsburgh,  1955)  , 20. 

12  William  M.  Darlington,  ed.,  Christopher  Gist’s  Jour- 
nals (Pittsburgh,  1893) , 82. 

13  The  George  Washington  Atlas,  Lawrence  Martin,  ed. 
(Washington,  D.  C.,  1932),  Plate  11,  reproduced  in  the 
present  work.  See  also  Freeman,  George  Washington, 
“Washington's  Map  of  His  First  Mission,”  between  pp. 
281  and  282. 

Hugh  Cleland,  op.  cit.,  5-6,  22. 

16  Ibid.,  45. 


INDIAN  PATHS  OI  PENNSYLVANIA 


21 


Bibliographical  Note 


Indian  paths  were  of  the  substance  of  the 
landscape  they  traversed;  and  it  would  be  a fool- 
ish man  who  undertook  to  write  of  them  without 
knowing  the  look  and  the  texture  of  that  terrain. 
The  land  did  not  call  forth  the  paths,  however; 
and  the  fancy  that  traces  Indian  pathways 
through  the  woods  and  clearings  of  vanished 
yesterdays  without  knowledge  of  the  human 
needs  and  activities  that  required  and  produced 
these  tracks  is  likewise  foolish. 

Our  Indians  wrote  no  travel  guides  and  carried 
no  visible  road  maps.  Nevertheless,  sound  docu- 
mentation for  many  of  their  paths  is  not  want- 
ing. Some  of  this  documentation  is  cited  on  fore- 
going pages  in  notes  on  individual  paths,  and 
need  not  be  repeated  in  a formal  listing.  Rather, 
the  author  prefers  to  conclude  by  noting  very 
briefly  the  general  nature  of  the  documentation. 

First  to  be  mentioned  are  maps  of  the  colonial 
period,  a number  of  which  show  important  In- 
dian paths  and  frontier  travel  routes.  Small  in 
scale,  limited  in  detail,  and  uncertain  in  configu- 
ration these  maps  may  sometimes  be,  but  they 
establish  the  existence  of  a path  even  though 
they  leave  its  precise  course  uncertain. 

More  specific  and  lively  are  the  itineraries, 
travel  journals,  and  reports  of  early  traders,  In- 
dian agents,  and  missionaries,  many  of  which 
have  been  long  in  print.  Especially  noteworthy 
for  Pennsylvania  are  the  records,  most  of  them 


in  German,  preserved  in  manuscript  in  the 

Archives  of  the  Moravian  Church  at  Bethlehem. 

0 

A number  of  these,  though  not  all,  have  been 
translated  and  published  in  religious  and  his- 
torical periodicals,  and  the  present  writer  has 
edited  a selection  of  them  in  book  form  (Thirty 
Thousand  Miles  with  John  Heckewelder.  Uni- 
versity of  Pittsburgh  Press,  1958). 

Finally,  and  most  important  for  their  topo- 
graphic precision  as  well  as  for  their  quantity, 
are  the  surveys  and  related  documents  preserved 
in  the  Bureau  of  Land  Records,  the  Department 
of  Internal  Affairs,  Harrisburg.  In  the  course  of 
his  research  the  present  writer  examined  many 
thousands  of  these  documents,  recording  ref- 
erences to  Indian  paths,  camp  sites,  towns,  and 
related  features;  and  then,  traveling  by  modern 
conveyance  over  modern  roads  (and  some  not 
so  modern)  , he  examined  these  places  in  their 
present  settings.  A number  of  these  land  docu- 
ments are  cited  in  the  present  work;  records  of 
others,  in  far  greater  number,  are  on  file  with 
the  Pennsylvania  Historical  and  Museum  Com- 
mission in  Harrisburg. 

For  study  of  the  terrain,  the  topographic  sheets 
of  the  United  States  Geological  Survey  are  in- 
dispensable. Aerial  survey  maps  are  valuable  too 
for  identifying  old  property  lines,  but  the  In- 
dian paths  themselves  rarely  left  permanent  scars 
on  the  landscape. 


INDICES 


Aaronsburg,  91,  126 
Abingdon,  Va.,  105 
Abington,  90 
Addison,  N.  Y.,  46 
Addison,  Pa.,  109 
Adjouquay,  83,  101,  169 
Adlum,  John,  11 
Akron,  Ohio,  33,  96 
Albany  Road,  99 
Albion,  25,  37 
Ufarata,  51 
Aliquippa  Gap,  144 
Allegheny  Creek,  19 
Allegheny  Front,  35,  67 
Allegheny  Mountain,  2,  5,  36,  60,  74, 
144,  165,  166,  186,  198 
Allegheny  Path,  19-21,  38,  49.  98,  108, 
121,  122,  127,  142,  162 
Allegheny  Portage,  135-6,  152 
Allegheny  Ridge,  23,  161 
Allegheny  River,  4,  11,  13,  19,  21,  27, 
28,  39,  41,  46,  47,  49,  53,  56.  61,  62, 
66,  69,  70,  76,  81.  82,  93,  94,  117, 
129.  136,  137,  140,  142,  145,  146, 
151,  170,  171,  175,  210 
Alleghenyville,  19,  108,  162 
Allemangel,  160 
Allentown,  14,  98,  99,  113,  128 
Allenwood,  42 
Altoona,  22 
Ambassadors  Road,  1 
Amberson,  50,  115 
Ambler,  102 
Ambridge,  93,  145,  170 
Amity,  32 
Amityville,  127 
Andalusia,  45 
Anderson  Creek,  68,  69,  99 
Annville,  20 
Ansonia,  130 
Antes  Creek,  116 
Appalachian  Divide,  135 
Apple  Tree  Town,  83,  164,  169 
Applebachville,  103 
Aquashicola  Creek,  188 
Arensburg,  28 

Armstrong,  Colonel  John,  21.  49,  53,  66 

Armstrong  Path,  21 

Armstrong’s,  122 

Assanpink  Path,  45 

Assarughney,  83 

Assinisink  (N.  Y.) , 46 

Atglen,  107 

Athens,  5,  46,  72,  83,  126.  141,  152,  157. 

160,  169,  180 

Aughwick,  55,  115,  146,  159 
Aughwick  Creek,  50,  51 
Avalon,  62 
Avon,  N.  Y.,  46,  160 
Avondale.  36 


Babb  Creek,  130 
Back  Creek,  58 
Baileyville.  126 

Bainbridge,  2,  38.  118,  119,  122 
Baker’s  Crossroads,  195 
Baia  19 

Bald  Eagle,  Chief,  22.  23 
Bald  Eagle  (town)  , 147,  186 


Index  of  Names 


Bald  Eagle  Creek,  22,  23,  67,  68,  186 
Bald  Eagle  Creek  Path,  22-3,  156,  182 
Bald  Eagle  Mountain,  22,  63,  91,  92, 
116,  186 

Bald  Eagle  Valley,  23,  130 

Bald  Eagle’s  Nest,  22,  78,  126,  156,  181 

Bald  Eagle’s  Path,  23-4,  68,  147,  186 

Bald  Eagle-Waterford  Road,  209 

Bald  Mountains,  83,  88 

Baltimore,  Md.,  57,  58,  166 

Barcelona  Harbor,  N.  Y.,  136 

Barnards,  70 

Barrelsville,  74 

Barren  Hill,  127 

Barrens,  55 

Bartlett  Mountain,  188 
Bartonsville,  124,  157 
Bartram,  John,  7,  154 
Bear  Creek,  124,  188 
Beaver,  96,  145 
Beaver  Dams,  53 
Beaver  Meadow,  113 
Beaver  River,  2,  62,  69.  82,  96,  201,  206 
Beaver  Run,  68 
Beaverdam  Run,  52,  194 
Beaver's  Town,  62,  96 
Bedford,  22,  35,  42,  59,  60,  116,  147, 
159,  182,  184 
Bedford  Springs,  184 
Beech  Creek,  23,  67 
Beech  Flats,  152 
Beech  Hill,  N.  Y.,  46 
Belfast,  157 
Bellefonte,  78 
Bells  Mills,  69 
Bells  Run,  69 
Beringer,  52 

Berkeley  Springs,  Va.,  179 
Berkley  ville,  171 
Berlinsville,  113 
Berry  Mountain,  158 
Berry  Mountain  Narrows,  122 
Berwick,  72,  113,  114,  191 
Bethel,  108,  161,  162 
Bethlehem,  9,  14,  43,  44,  88,  89,  98,  99, 
107,  113,  116,  121,  124,  132,  178, 
187,  188,  191 

Bezaillon,  Peter,  2,  38,  57,  118 

Big  Bottom,  145 

Big  Cove,  57 

Big  Level  Ridge,  3 

Big  Lookout  Divide,  135 

Big  Loyalsock  Creek,  95 

Big  Mahoning  Creek,  26,  56,  69 

Big  Moshannon  Creek,  68 

Big  Piney  Creek,  165 

Big  Portage  Path,  135-6 

Big  Run,  69 

Big  Sand  Spring,  68 

Big  Savage  Mountain,  109,  165,  166 

Big  Spring,  68,  69,  174,  177 

Big  Spring  Creek,  50 

Big  Spring  Road,  130 

Bigham’s  Gap,  115 

Black  Bear  Run,  23 

Black  Creek,  88,  148 

Black  Gap  Road,  105 

Black  Lick  Creek,  28,  137 

Black  Log  Sleeping  Place,  50,  146 

Black  Moshannon  Creek,  23,  68 


Black  Oak  School,  68 
Black  Valley,  181 
Blackhawk,  62 
Blackleg’s  Town,  94,  145 
Blacklog  Creek,  50 
Blacklog  Mountain,  50,  51,  115 
Blackoak  Ridge,  182 
Blackwell,  130 
Blainsport,  19,  162 
Blainville,  Celeron  de,  9,  136 
Blair  Valley,  179 
Blairs  Mills,  115 
Blakeslee  Corners,  43,  188 
Blanket  Hill,  53 
Blockhouse  Creek,  159 
Bloody  Run,  144,  181 
Blooming  Glen,  103 
Blooming  Grove,  101 
Bloomsburg,  72,  191 
Bloomsdorf,  156 
Bloss  Creek,  159 
Blossburg,  159 
Blue  Ball,  24 
Blue  Hill,  126 
Blue  Hill  Station,  126 
Blue  Lick  Creek,  74 
Blue  Mountain,  2,  4,  50,  107,  122,  142, 
160,  162,  188 

Blue  Rock  Path,  19,  24-5 
Bluff,  184,  185 
Boalsburg,  126 
Bodines,  152 
Bohemia  Mountain,  5 
Boile  Run,  162 
Boiling  Spring  Run,  182 
Bolivar,  Ohio,  62 
Bonnecamp,  Pierre  de,  9 
Boone,  Daniel,  105 
Boone’s  Fort,  191 
Booneville,  91 
Boon’s  Mountain,  78 
Bottom  Path,  25 
Bound  Brook,  N.  J.,  90 
Bouquet,  Colonel  Henry,  1,  6,  26,  62, 
147,  152,  170,  198,  199 
Bowman’s  Bridge,  19 
Bowmansdale,  38,  118 
Braddock,  1,  6,  32,  145 
Braddock,  General  Edward,  109,  111, 
149,  198 

Braddock  Run,  109,  182 
Braddock 's  Bear  Camp,  109 
Braddock ’s  Field,  117 
Braddock’s  Road,  42,  59.  109-13,  150, 
151,  166 

Branchville,  N.  J.,  102 
Brandt  Summit,  32,  185 
Brandywine  Creek,  118 
Brandywine  Springs,  Del.,  36 
Brant,  Joseph,  46 
Break  Neck,  74 
Breakneck  Creek,  171 
Breakneck  Hill,  72 
Briar  Creek,  72 
Bridgeville,  32 
Bridgewater,  45 
Briggsville,  113,  178 
Brinkerton,  56 
Bristol,  45 
Broad  Ford.  172 


217 


Broad  Mountain,  4,  88,  113,  148,  162 

Brodhead,  Daniel,  39,  40,  176 

Brodhead  Creek,  124 

Brodheadsville,  132,  188 

Brokenstraw  Creek,  25,  41,  43,  175 

Brokenstraw  Path,  25-6,  43 

Brookville,  27,  61,  174 

Brotherton,  59 

Brown  Hill,  209,  210 

Browns  Mills,  58 

Brownsville,  42.  100,  109,  148 

Brule,  Etienne,  33,  47 

Brush  Creek,  51.  82,  145,  151,  171,  203. 

205 

Brush  Mountain,  91 

Brush  Run,  51 

Buck  Mountain,  107,  113 

Buckingham,  90 

Bucktown,  24 

Buckaloons,  25,  41,  175 

Buffalo,  N.  Y„  33,  85,  86 

Buffalo  Creek,  33,  63 

Buffalo  Mills,  182 

Buffalo  Run,  60,  156,  182 

Buffalo  Salt  Lick  (Ind.)  , 9 

Bull,  John  Joseph  (Shebosch)  , 154 

Bullock  Path,  26 

Bullocks  Ford,  176 

Bully  Hill,  171 

Bunkertown,  168 

Burd,  James,  6,  59,  149,  198 

Burd’s  Road,  59,  60,  149.  198 

Burgoon  Run,  52 

Burlington,  N.  J.,  45 

Burlington  Path,  45 

Burnet  Hills,  5,  10 

Burnt  Cabins,  6,  55,  57,  58,  117,  142, 

143 

Burnt  House,  39 
Bushkill,  103 

Bushy  Run,  6,  26,  117,  146,  151,  199 

Butcher  Pond,  84 

Bute,  149 

Bute’s  Run,  110 

Butler,  53,  70,  82 

Butler.  John,  46 

Butler,  Colonel  Zebulon,  95 

Buttermilk  Falls,  72 

Buttermilk  Hill.  172 

Buzzard’s  Town,  195 

Byerly’s  Path,  26,  151 

Byram,  N.  J.,  133,  134 


Cabbage  Hollow,  186 

Cahill  Mountain,  161 

California  Creek,  130 

Calvert,  Md„  107 

Calvert,  Pa.,  154 

Cambridge  Springs,  172 

Catnerhoff,  Bishop  Frederick,  77.  192 

Cameron  Mills,  N.  Y.,  46 

Camp,  184 

Camp  Genesee,  161 

Camp  Hill,  50 

Campbell’s  Ledge,  5 

Canada,  27 

Canandaigua,  N.  Y.,  160 
Canaserago,  160 
C.anenacai,  175 
Canisteo,  N.  Y.,  46,  47 
Canisteo  River  (N.  Y.)  , 46 
Canoe  Creek,  69,  70 
Canoe  Mountain,  51 
Canoe  Place.  76,  135,  155 
Canoe  Ripple,  176 


Canonsburg,  32 
Canton,  75.  152 
Capoose  Meadows,  83,  101,  191 
Carlisle,  21,  38.  50,  53,  60,  117,  118,  142, 
177,  178 

Carlton,  172,  207 
Carnahan  Run,  79 
Carnegie,  32 
Carolinas,  22,  27 
Carpenter’s  Point,  103 
Cartledge’s  Old  Road,  57,  105 
Cartwrights  Crossing,  27 
Casselman  River,  165 
Catasaqua,  113 

Catawba  Indians,  22,  27,  177,  180 
Catawba  Path,  27-30,  33,  94,  109,  111, 
125,  149,  150,  180,  184,  185 
Catawissa,  31,  114,  160,  191 
Catawissa  Creek,  31,  114,  160 
Catawissa  Path,  31,  191 
Catfish  (Indian)  , 32 
Catfish  (Town) , 59,  100 
Catfish  Path.  32,  100,  180 
Cattaraugus  Path,  33,  47 
Cayahaga  (Ohio)  , 33,  96,  175 
Cayahaga  Path,  33,  96 
Cayuga  Indians,  160 
Cayuga  Lake  (N.  Y.) , 75 
Cedar  Springs,  92,  168 
Celoron,  N.  Y„  137 
Center  Square,  118 
Centerville,  100,  184 
Centre  Hall,  78 
Ceres,  N.  Y„  47,  121 
Cessna,  35,  182,  184 
Chadakoin  River  (N.  Y.)  , 137 
Chambers  Hill,  20 
Chambersburg,  177,  178 
Champlain,  Samuel  de,  47 
Chapman,  158 
Chartier  Run,  79 
Chartier’s  Landing,  22,  79,  81 
Chartier ’s  Town,  49,  53,  79,  81,  82,  145 
Chatham,  N.  J.,  102 
Chatham,  Pa.,  36 
Chatham  Run,  130 
Chautauqua  Creek  (N.  Y.)  , 136 
Chautauqua  Lake  (N.  Y.)  , 136 
Chautauqua  Portage,  86,  136-7 
Cheat  River.  28,  185 
Chemung  River,  5,  46,  72,  75,  141,  157, 
160 

Chenango  (N.  Y.) , 83 
Cherokee  Indians,  22,  27,  177 
Cherokee  Path,  27 
Cherry  Run,  W.  Va.,  168 
Cherry  Tree,  137 
Cherry  Tree  Portage,  137-8 
Cherry’s  Mill,  59,  60 
Cherryville,  113 
Chest  Creek,  194 
Chest  Springs,  194 
Chester,  64,  120 
Chester  Creek,  120 
Chestnut  Flat,  91 
Chestnut  Grove,  68,  69 
Chestnut  Hill,  102,  157 
Chestnut  Ridge,  109,  145.  148,  166, 
188,  198,  199 
Chewton,  82 
Chick ies  Creek.  118 
Chickies  Ridge,  122 
Chillicothe,  Ohio,  100 
Chillisquaque,  66 
Chillisquaque  Creek,  34,  66.  106 
Chillisquaque  Path,  34-5 


Chilson  Run,  161 

Chinklacamoose,  13,  61,  68,  99,  147 
Chinklacamoose  Path,  13 
Chippewa,  161 
Christian  Spring,  188 
Christina  Creek  (Del.) , 36 
Churchtown,'  24 
Circleville,  111 

Clapham,  Colonel  William,  158 
Clarendon,  129 

Clarion  River,  27,  56,  61,  141,  174,  176 
Clark,  81 
Clarkson,  62 
Clay  Hill.  58 
Claysburg,  182 
Clear  Creek,  27,  181 
Clear  Fields,  6,  52,  194 
Clearfield,  13,  23,  24,  61,  68,  69,  99, 
147,  174,  186 

Clearfield  Creek,  52,  68,  194 

Cleaveland,  General  Moses,  86 

Cleveland,  Ohio,  25,  85 

Clew’s  Riffle,  61,  141,  174 

Clinch  Mountain  (Va.)  , 105 

Cloe,  69,  70 

Clover  Creek,  55 

Cobbs  Creek,  120 

Cobustown,  N.  Y.,  46 

Cochecton,  N.  Y.,  44 

Cochranton,  207 

Cochranville,  36,  107,  172 

Cock  Eye’s  Cabin,  145,  151,  152 

Cocolamus  Creek,  169 

Cocolamus  River,  96 

Cogan  Valley,  152 

Cohocton  River  (N.  Y.)  , 46,  160 

Cold  Stream,  23,  186 

Collegeville,  127 

Colmar.  102 

Columbia,  122 

Columbia  Cross  Roads,  75 

Combs  Creek,  135 

Compass,  107,  118 

Conawacta  Creek,  139 

Concord,  50,  115 

Concord  Narrows,  50,  168 

Conejohela,  105 

Conemaugh,  35 

Conemaugh  Path,  35-6 

Conemaugh  River,  28,  35,  137,  145 

Conestoga,  36,  57,  116,  122,  162 

Conestoga  Creek,  64,  118,  138 

Conestoga  Indians,  138 

Conestoga-Newport  Path,  36 

Conestoga  Path,  36 

Conestoga  Portage,  138 

Conewago  (N.  Y.) , 46,  160 

Conewago  Creek,  20,  36,  38,  175 

Conewago  Falls,  38,  118 

Conewago  Path,  36,  38 

Conewango,  4,  33,  39,  40,  137,  175 

Conewango  Creek,  39,  40,  137 

Confluence,  165,  167 

Congress  Hill,  171 

Conneaut.  Ohio,  37,  85,  86,  87 

Conneaut  Lake,  81.  82 

Conneaut  Outlet,  81 

Conneaut  Path,  37 

Connellsville,  28 

Connoquenessing  Creek.  82,  93,  171, 
205 

Conococheague  Creek,  50,  58,  139,  142, 
168,  177 

Conococheague  Portage,  139 
Conodoguinet  Creek,  50,  115,  139,  158 


218 


Conoy  Creek,  58,  118 
Conoy  Indians,  38,  66,  105 
Conoy  Path,  36,  38,  118 
Conoy  Town,  38,  118 
Contrecoeur,  Claude-Pierre  Pecaudy 
de,  86 

Conway,  62,  93 
Cookose  (N.  Y.)  , 44 
Cookport,  52 
Cooks  Pond,  101 
Cooks  Run,  155 
Cooper  Settlement,  68 
Corning,  N.  Y.,  46 
Cornplanter  Run,  39 
C.ornplanter-Venango  Path,  41 
Cornplanter’s  Path,  39-40 
Cornplanter 's  Town,  3,  4,  5,  25,  33, 
39,  40,  41,  129,  205 
Corriganville,  Md.,  74,  165,  182 
Corry,  25 

Corsica,  28,  61,  174 
Costello,  136 
Cove  Gap,  58 
Cove  Hollow,  136 
Cove  Mountain,  58 
Covington,  159 

Cowan  Gap,  4,  6,  57,  58,  142,  143,  198 
Cowanshannock,  70 
Cowanshannock  Creek,  70 
Cox's  Creek,  74 
Crabs  Corners,  209 
Crabtree  Bottoms,  145 
Craig,  Isaac,  86 
Cranberry,  56 
Cranberry  Ridge,  101 
Crawford  Run,  68 
Cresaptown,  Md.,  182 
Crescent  Lake,  124 
Croghan,  George,  50,  59 
Croghan’s  Gap,  115,  158 
Crolls  Mills,  93,  171.  205,  206 
Croll’s  Ridge,  171 
Crooked  Creek,  27,  53,  156 
Crossingville,  37 
Crosswicks  Creek  (N.  J.)  , 45 
Crows  Run,  200 
Crow's  Town,  62,  93,  205 
Cucumber  Run,  165 
Culbertson,  142 
Culbertson,  Andrew,  42 
Culbertson’s  Path,  42,  191 
Culbertson’s  Ripples,  42 
Cumberland,  Md.,  22,  42.  60,  74.  109, 
126,  144,  165,  184,  185,  198 
Cumberland  Gap,  105,  177 
Cumberland  Path,  42 
Cumberland  Road,  42,  74 
Cumberland  Valley,  184 
Cumminsville,  178 
Curry  Run,  53 
Curwensville,  68,  69 
Cushcheating  Path,  26 
Cushetunk  (N.  Y.)  , 44 
Cushing  Hollow,  130 
Cussewago,  37,  43.  81,  82.  172,  201, 
207,  208 

Cussewago  Creek,  37 
Cussewago  Path,  37,  43 
Cuyahoga  River  (Ohio)  , 25,  96 

Dale,  36 

Dale  Church,  68 
Dalmatia,  77,  95,  123 
Danville.  72,  96,  106,  191 
Darby,  64,  120 
Dauphin,  122 


David’s  Path,  43,  187 
Deeter's  Gap,  60 
Delaware  Creek,  77 

Delaware  Indians,  1.  5,  25,  32,  33,  35, 
39,  47,  49,  61,  66,  70,  98,  102,  113, 
117,  127.  189, .198 

Delaware  River,  2,  11,  19,  44,  45,  53, 
64,  84,  90,  97,  99,  101,  102,  103, 
104,  115,  133,  138,  139,  191 
Delaware  River  Path,  44-5 
Delaware  Run,  66,  96 
Delaware  Water  Gap,  4 
Denville,  N.  J.,  102 
Deposit,  N.  Y.,  44 
Depuis’,  44 

Detroit,  Michigan,  33,  62 
Detroit  Path,  13 
Diamondville,  52,  137 
Dickinson,  178 
Dicks  Run,  23,  68 
Dingmans  Ferry,  103 
Dogtown,  46 
Donegal,  59 
Donegal  Spring,  118 
Double  Eagle,  4 

Dougherty’s  Mill  (s)  , 8,  93,  171,  205 

Douglassville,  127 

Downingtown,  2,  118,  119 

Doylesburg,  50,  115 

Drake  Well  Park,  41 

Drehersville,  160 

Drowning  Creek,  198 

Dry  Ridge,  59 

Dry  Run,  168 

Duboistown,  42 

Dumas,  165 

Duncannon.  158 

Dunellen,  N.  J.,  90 

Dungannon,  Obio,  62 

Dunkard  Creek,  28,  184,  185 

Dunkle’s  Corner,  129 

Dunlap  Creek,  148 

Dunlap's  Path,  45,  149 

Dunmore,  101 

Dunning  Creek,  35,  182,  184 
Dunning  Mountain,  106,  182 
Dunning’s  Spring,  177 
Duquesne,  Marquis,  86 
Dushore,  95 
Dutch  Fork,  100 
Dutch  Mountain,  188 
Dutchman’s  Run,  129 
Dvainhdon,  39 
Dyke  Creek  (N.  Y.)  , 46 

East  Bethlehem,  100 

East  Canton,  152 

East  Kane,  27 

East  Riverside,  28 

East  Stroudsburg,  124 

East  Waterford,  168 

East  Waterford  Narrows,  115 

Easton.  14,  88,  98,  103,  113,  157,  191 

Easton  Reading  Road,  99 

Easton-Wilkes-Barre  Road,  188 

Eckenrode  Mills,  52,  194 

Edenburg,  56,  141 

Edgecliff,  79 

Edinboro,  25 

F.dinboro  Lake,  25 

Edinburg,  Ohio,  96 

Edmund’s  Swamp,  3,  6,  117.  144,  198 

Egypt  Mills,  103 

Elderton,  53 

Eldorado,  51 

Eleven  Mile  Creek,  47 


Eleven  Mile  Spring,  47 
Elizabeth,  N.  J.,  90.  99 
Elk  Creek,  5,  78,  161 
Elk  Lick,  190 
F.lkton,  107 
Ellerslie,  Md.,  182 
Elmira,  N.  Y.,  48,  75,  157 
Elton,  35,  36 
Elverstown,  24 
Emerickville,  174 
Emmaus,  121 

Emporium,  76,  135,  136,  155 

Enid,  142 

Erdman,  162 

Erie,  85,  86,  87,  140,  170 

Eriton,  174 

Esopus  (N.  Y.)  , 103,  104,  124,  132 
Esterly,  127 

Ettwein,  Bishop  John,  3,  5,  68,  69,  70, 
189-90 

Evans,  Governor  John,  116 

Evans,  Lewis,  11,  154,  162,  170,  201 

Evans  City,  170,  171 

Everett,  144,  181 

Evitts  Mountain,  144 

Export,  152 

Eyerly,  Jacob,  37,  86,  87 

Fairfield,  9 
Fairmount  Park,  19 
Falling  Spring,  177,  178 
Falls  of  the  Delaware,  45 
Falls  of  the  Schuylkill,  127 
Falls  Path,  45-6 
Falmouth,  118,  122 
Fannettsburg,  168 
Farrandville,  155 
Federal  Run,  209,  210 
Ferney,  155 
Ferry  Road,  134 
Fields  Station,  152,  154 
Fifteen  Mile  Spring,  171 
Fingal  Castle,  19 
Fish  Basket,  13,  56,  141,  176 
Fish  Creek  (Ohio)  , 185 
Fisher  Ridge,  162 
Fishing  Creek,  31,  72,  92,  191 
Flemington,  67 
Flint  Ridge,  169 
Florida,  27 
Flourtown,  102 

Forbes,  General  John,  1,  2,  6,  111,  142, 
143,  147,  198,  199 

Forbes  Road,  77,  144,  145,  152,  198-9 
Forbidden  Path,  9,  33,  46-8.  121,  157, 
160 

Ford  Road,  19 
Forestville,  171 
Fork  Ridge,  184 
Forks  of  the  Brandywine,  64 
Forks  of  the  Delaware,  14,  88,  98,  113, 
116,  157 

Forks  of  the  Ohio,  4,  22,  32,  38.  49, 
63,  79,  82,  116,  126,  127,  166.  170, 
200,  210 

Forks  of  the  Susquehanna,  5,  66,  123, 
126,  162,  191 
Fort  Allen,  88,  132,  191 
Fort  Allen  Path,  113 
Fort  Bedford,  144,  184,  198 
Fort  Burd,  149 

Fort  Cumberland  (Md.)  , 42.  63.  74, 
165 

Fort  Detroit  (Mich.)  , 63 
Fort  Duquesne,  199 
Fort  Freeland.  191 


219 


Fort  Hamilton,  132 
Fort  Hill,  49 
Fort  Hill  Path,  49 
Fort  Hunter  (N.  Y.)  , 44 
Fort  Le  Boeuf,  12,  25,  140,  170,  172, 
200,  201,  206,  207,  209 
Fort  Ligonier,  198 
Fort  Littleton,  55,  143,  156,  198 
Fort  Loudon,  6,  57,  58,  142,  168 
Fort  Machault,  56,  171 
Fort  Manayunk,  64,  120 
Fort  Norris,  132,  188 
Fort  Pitt,  63,  166 
Fort  Presque  Isle,  172,  173 
Fort  Shirley,  53 
Fort  Stouffer,  58 
Fort  Washington,  102 
Forty  Fort,  72 
Fossilville,  182 
Fourmile  Run,  145 
Frankford,  45 

Franklin,  13,  25.  33,  41,  56,  83,  93,  96, 
99,  140,  141,  170,  171.  174,  175, 
176,  200.  205,  206,  207 
Franklin  Road,  93,  170,  200,  203,  205 
Franklinville,  126 

Frankstown,  22,  49,  50,  55,  56,  72,  79, 
126,  144,  147,  156,  176,  182,  184, 
186 

Frankstown  Path,  3,  4,  13,  20,  49-55, 
63,  77,  79,  95,  115,  126,  137,  142, 
147,  159,  181.  196 

Frankstown-Burnt  Cabins  Path,  55, 
156 

Frankstown-Kittanning  Path,  53 
Frankstown  Sleeping  Place,  51 
Frankstown-Venango  Path,  56-7 
Frederick,  Md.,  36,  105 
Fredericksburg,  43 
Freeburg,  169 
Freehold,  N.  J.,  45 
Freeman  Run,  136 
Freeport,  137 

French  Creek,  37,  41,  43,  57,  93,  99, 
117,  138,  140,  142,  170,  171,  172, 
176,  201,  203,  206-10 
French  Creek  Path,  57,  64 
French  Creek  Valley,  81 
French  Lick,  Ind.,  9 
French  Margaret's  Town,  67,  152 
Friedenshiitten,  43,  69,  188,  189 
Friedensstadt,  69 
Friends  Meeting  House,  127 
Frogtown,  28,  141 
Frostburg,  141 
Fryburg,  174 
Furlong,  90 

Gabbletown,  185 

Gaibleton,  27 

Gaines,  130 

Galbraith’s  Ferry,  119 

Galeton,  130 

Gallagherville,  118 

Gans,  28 

Gap,  36,  64,  107 

Gardeau,  135 

Garrett’s  Ford,  19 

Geistown,  35,  36 

Genesee,  46,  121,  130 

Genesee  Forks,  130 

Genesee  River,  46 

Genesee  Road,  160-1 

Genesee  Valley,  130 

Georges  Creek,  28,  36.  184,  185 

Georgetown,  D.  C.,  57 


Georgetown,  Pa.,  124,  188 
Georgetown  Road,  57-8 
Georgeville,  27 
Geryville,  128 
Gettysburg,  105 
Gilbert,  132,  187,  188,  191 
Girty  Run,  82 

Gist,  Christopher,  13,  110,  148,  149, 
181,  200-12 

Glad  Run,  39,  70,  171 
Gladdens  Run,  74 
Glade  (s)  Road,  144,  167 
Glades  Path,  59-60,  150,  182 
Glen  Mawr,  189 

Gnadenhutten,  88,  96,  115,  132,  178, 
191 

Good  Spring,  162 
Goose  Pond,  101 

Goschgoschink,  14,  25,  47,  61,  69,  94, 
175 

Goschgoschink  Path,  26,  61-2,  94,  125 
Gowdy’s  Fording,  111 
Gradyville,  64,  117 
Grange,  141 
Grass  Flat,  68 
Grassy  Run,  28 
Gravel  Run,  31 
Graves  Creek  (Ohio)  , 185 
Graysville,  126 
Great  Bend,  164,  168,  169 
Great  Bend  Portage,  139-40 
Great  Catawba  War  Path,  27 
Great  Island,  22,  51,  63,  67,  92,  147, 
152,  155.  156,  180,  181,  191 
Great  Island  Path,  63-4,  116 
Great  Minquas  Path,  36,  57,  64-5,  117, 
120,  122 

Great  Path,  62-3,  93,  96 
Great  Shamokin  Path,  13,  23,  24,  61, 
66-72,  78,  82,  99,  152,  160,  174,  186 
Great  Swamp,  3,  43,  124,  188,  189 
Great  Trail,  177 

Great  Warriors  Path,  3,  5,  20,  31,  72-4, 
108,  114,  126,  157,  169.  180,  184, 
191,  192 

Green  Lick  Run,  111 
Green  Mountain,  88 
Green  Spring,  50 
Green  Spring  Creek,  50 
Greencastle,  58,  177 
Greensburg,  199 
Greenville,  52,  81 
Grover,  75,  152 
Gurney  Hill,  1 7 1 

Haas  Hill,  99 
Hagerstown,  Md.,  105 
Hagersville,  103 
Hainesville,  N.  J„  102 
Haldeman  Island,  158 
Half  Falls  Mountain,  158 
Half  King  (Tanacharison)  , 200,  201, 
205,  207 

Half  King’s  Rock,  109,  148,  149 

Halfway  Run,  182 

Halifax,  122 

Hallam,  105 

Hallowing  Run.  162 

Hallstead,  164 

Hamilton,  27 

Hancock,  N.  Y.,  44 

Hanging  Rock  Gap,  Md..  179 

Hannastown,  199 

Hannastown  Fort,  145 

Hanover,  N.  J.,  102 

Hanover.  Pa.,  105 


Harmonsburg,  43 

Harmony,  93,  170,  200,  205,  206 

“Harmony,”  139 

Harnedsville,  165 

Harpers  Ferry,  W.  Va.,  105 

Harris,  John,  8 

Harris,  Samuel,  139,  141,  189,  190 
Harrisburg,  4,  19,  20,  38,  49,  72.  98, 
115,  116,  118,  119,  127,  142,  158, 
177,  199 

Harrison  City,  26,  146,  151,  199 
Harrisonburg,  Va.,  105 
Harrisville,  83,  93,  171,  200,  203,  205, 
206 

Hartleton,  126 

Hartley,  Colonel  Thomas,  95 
Hart’s  Log,  13,  195 
Hart’s  Sleeping  Place,  195 
Hartstown,  82 
Hartsville,  90 
Hatboro,  90 
Hatch  Run,  5,  39,  40 
Hatcher,  Harlan,  86 
Hatter  Creek,  182 
Hawthorn,  141 
Hayesville,  107,  123 
Haymaker  Road,  111,  151,  199 
Hays  Mill,  74,  205 
Hays  Mill  Path,  42,  60,  74-5 
Hazleton,  107,  113 
Headquarters,  N.  J.,  134 
Heckewelder,  John,  3,  9,  33,  43,  59,  62, 
86,  116,  121,  191 
Hecktown,  187 
Hegins,  162 
Helen  Furnace,  61 
Hellen  Mills,  78 
Hellertown,  103 
Hemlock  Creek,  149 
Hemlock  Run,  153 
Hendersonville,  1 7 1 
Hepburnville,  152 
Herndon,  123 
Herron's  Branch,  139 
Hershey,  20,  36 
Hickory  Bottom,  175 
Hickory  Town,  50 
Highspire,  122 
Hillsgrove,  5,  95,  161 
Hockendaqua,  113,  128 
Hockersville,  178 
Hockessin,  Del.,  36 
Hodge  Run,  39 
Hogback  Hill,  78 
Hogestown,  50,  142 
Hogue  Run,  93,  203 
Hollidaysburg,  22,  51,  53 
Holmesburg,  45 
Homer,  28 
Honeoye  Creek,  47 
Honey  Grove,  168 
Honey  brook,  107 
Hooflander  Mountain,  4,  123 
Horn  Hollow,  136 
Horse  Valley,  57,  58,  142 
Horseheads,  N.  Y.,  75 
Horseheads  Path,  75-6 
Horseshoe  Curve,  52 
Horseshoe  Pike,  119 
Hosensack,  128 
Host,  162 
Hottenstein’s,  99 

Howell,  Reading,  11,  34,  60,  135,  167 
Hudson  River  (N.  Y.)  , 72,  102,  103 
Hudsondale,  113 
Hughesville,  189 


Hugos  Corners,  161 
Hummels  Store,  19 
Hummelstown,  20 
Huntersville,  161 
Huntingdon,  51,  55.  156,  181 
Husband’s,  60 
Hustontown,  198 
Hutchins,  Thomas,  3,  33,  62,  63 
Hyndman,  182 
Hyner,  155 

Ichsua  (N.  Y.)  , 27,  47,  76,  121 
Ichsua  Creek,  76 
Ichsua  Path,  76 
Indian  Creek,  76,  133 
Indian  Crossing,  76 
Indian  Head,  172 
Indian  Hill,  100,  154 
Indian  Hollow,  5,  39 
Indian  Land,  113 
Indian  Oak,  53 
Indian  Old  Town,  20 
Indian  Orchard,  84,  97 
Indian  Path  Valley,  182 
Indian  Peter’s  Land,  100 
Indian  Point,  101 
Indian  Run,  88,  148 
Indian  Spring  (Pa.)  . 101 
Indian  Springs,  Md.,  179 
Indiana,  Pa.,  27,  28,  53,  79 
Ingaren,  164 

Irish  Settlement  Brook,  46 
Iron  Hill,  103 

Irondequoit  Bay  (N.  Y.)  , 10 
Iroquois  Indians,  1,  5,  27,  28,  43,  46, 
47,  66,  72.  83,  126,  162.  168.  177, 
180.  181,  200 
Iroquois  Main  Road,  27 
Iroquois  Path,  1,  27 
Irvine.  25,  41,  175 
Isle,  171 

Ithaca,  N.  Y.,  75 


Jacks  Creek,  96 
Jacks  Mountain,  78 
Jack’s  Narrows,  51,  77 
Jacobs  Creek,  111,  166 
Jamison,  90 
Jeffersonville,  127 
Jenkintown,  90 

Jennings’  Run  (Md.)  , 110.  165.  182 

Jenuchshadego,  39 

Jersey  Shore,  67,  130 

Jerseytown,  191 

Jeskakake.  200,  207 

Jew  Hill,  159 

Johnstown.  35,  36 

Joliett,  162 

Jonathan  Run,  23 

Joncaire,  Philippe  Thomas,  200 

Jordan  Creek,  99 

Jordans  Knob,  142 

Juniata  Crossings,  198 

Juniata  Path,  77,  96 

Juniata  River,  22,  35,  49,  51,  55,  56, 

60,  77,  96,  143.  144,  156,  158.  168. 

169.  181,  182,  184 


Kahl  Gap,  91 

Kaisies  Knob,  168 

Kanawohalla  (N.  Y.)  , 75,  157 

Kantner,  145 

Kantz,  169 

Kaolin,  36 


Karondinhah  Path,  91,  126 

Keating  Summit,  135,  136,  155 

Keelersville,  103 

Keffer,  162 

Keisters  Mills,  171 

Kelly  Run,  209 

Kellysburg,  27 

Kemp’s  Tavern,  99 

Kempville,  99 

Kensington,  Ohio,  62 

Kentucky,  27,  105,  177,  184,  185 

Keown,  171 

Kersey  Road,  78 

Kiasutha,  200,  207 

Kickenapaulin’s  Town,  145 

Kickey  Husten’s  Town,  35 

Killinger  Creek,  20 

King’s  Road,  45,  120 

Kingston,  N.  Y.,  102,  103,  132,  191 

Kinney  Corners,  46,  47 

Kinzua  Creek,  27,  129 

Kirbyville,  99 

Kishacoquillas,  77,  78,  92,  96,  126 
Kishacoquillas  Creek,  78 
Kishacoquillas  Path,  78 
Kiskiminetas,  53,  79,  145 
Kiskiminetas  Path,  49,  79 
Kiskiminetas  River,  79,  94,  137,  145 
Kittanning,  13,  19,  21.  22.  27,  28.  49, 
56,  66,  69,  70,  72.  79.  82,  117,  125, 
176 

Kittanning  Branch  of  Catawba  Path, 
27.  28 

Kittanning  Path,  13.  20,  49.  51,  52,  53, 
79,  137,  145,  194-5,  196 
Kittanning-Frankstown  Path,  28,  53 
Kittanning  Gap,  194 
Kittanning  Point,  52 
Kittanning  Run,  52 
Kittatinny  Mountain,  2,  4,  142 
Kleinhans  Lake,  101 
Kleinville,  128 
Kline  Grove,  31 
Klingerstown,  4,  162 
Klondike  School,  23 
Kluft,  die,  19,  20,  108,  127,  162 
Knauers,  19 
Knauertown,  24 
Knob  Mountain,  50 
Kossuth,  56,  141 
Kresgeville,  132 
Kunkletown,  188 

Kuskuskies,  2,  10,  33,  53,  70,  81,  82. 

83,  96,  175,  201,  205,  206 
Kuskusky  Path,  170 
Kuskusky-Chartier’s  Town  Path,  80  1 
Kuskusky-Cussewago  Path,  80,  82 
Kuskusky-Kittanning  Path,  80,  82 
Kuskusky-Ohio  Forks  Path,  80,  82 
Kuskusky-Venango  Path,  80,  83 
Kutztown,  98 
Kylertown,  68 

Laboratory,  100 
Lackawanna,  72,  83,  101 
Lackawanna  Path,  13,  83-4,  101,  164 
Lackawanna  River,  5,  72,  83,  101 
Lackawaxen,  84 
Lackawaxen  Path,  84-5 
Lackawaxen  River,  84 
Lacomick  Creek,  201 
Lahaska,  90 

Lake  Erie,  47,  85-7,  93,  136,  140 
Lake  Giles,  101 
Lake  Hopatcong  (N.  J.)  . 102 
Lake  Naomi,  124 


Lake  Ontario,  10 
Lake  Shore  Path,  37.  43,  85-8 
Lake  Warren,  85 
Lcmar,  92 

Lambertville,  N.  J.,  90 
Lancaster,  24,  72.  116 
Lancaster  Road,  19 
Lanes  Run  (Md.)  , 179 
Lanesboro,  83,  139 
Lapachpeton’s  Town,  31 
Larison’s  Corner,  N.  J.,  90 
Larry’s  Creek,  67 
Laurel  Hill,  145,  159,  166,  198 
Laurel  Hill  Creek,  165,  167 
Laurel  Mountain,  159 
Laurel  Run,  23,  88 
Laurelton  State  Village,  126 
Laurelville,  59,  60,  150 
Lawrenceville,  159 
Lebanon,  20 
Le  Boeuf  Creek,  140 
Lechawekink,  14,  98,  157 
Lees  Crossroads,  178 
Leggetts  Gap,  83 
Legionville,  62,  93 
Lehigh  Gap,  113 
Lehigh  Path,  88-9,  107,  191 
Lehigh  River,  88,  99,  103,  113,  124,  128, 
132 

Lehighton,  88,  96,  113,  132,  191 
Leidystown,  103 
Leisure  Run,  56 
Leithsville,  103 
Lemoyne,  158 

Lenni  Lenape  Indians,  1,  102 
Lenni  Lenape  Path,  90-1,  99,  102,  133 
Leroy,  152 

L£ry,  Joseph  Gospard  Chaussegros  de, 
137 

Letort  Spring  Run,  50,  115 
Letort’s  Spring,  38,  50,  115,  118,  142, 
177 

LeTort’s  Town,  53 
Levittown,  45 
Lewisburg,  63 

Lewistown,  4,  77,  91,  92,  95,  126 

Lewisville,  130 

Lexington,  Va.,  105 

Liberty,  159 

Liberty  Hall.  161 

Ligonier,  6,  28,  69,  94,  145 

Ligonier  Path,  125 

Lima,  64 

Limerick,  127 

Limestone,  Ky.,  100 

Limestone  Ridge,  168,  169 

Limestone  Road,  107,  108 

Lincoln  Falls,  161 

Line  Lexington.  102 

Line  Mountain,  162 

Linesville,  43 

Lionville,  162 

Lititz,  116 

Little  Aughwick  Creek,  142,  143 
Little  Britain,  123 
Little  Cocalico  Creek,  19 
Little  Conestoga,  24 
Little  Connoquenessing  Creek,  171 
Little  Conococheague  Creek,  168 
Little  Cooley,  43,  172.  200.  207.  208, 
209,  210 

Little  Crabtree  Creek,  145 

Little  Crossings  River,  165 

Little  Fishing  Creek,  92 

Little  Inlet  (N.  Y.)  , 136 

Little  Juniata  River,  22,  126.  147,  186 


221 


Little  Lost  Creek,  168 

Little  Loyalsock  Creek,  95 

Little  Mahoning  Creek,  26,  56,  70 

Little  Mahanoy  Mountain,  123 

Little  Marsh  Creek,  67 

Little  Moshannon  Creek,  68 

Little  Mountain,  162 

Little  Pine  Creek,  130 

Little  Piney  Creek,  165 

Little  Portage  Creek,  135,  136 

Little  Portage  Path,  136 

Little  Roaring  Creek,  31,  101 

Little  Sewickley  Creek,  111,  151 

Little  Shickshinny  Creek,  191 

Little  Summit,  100,  124 

Little  Toby’s  Creek,  78 

Little  Wapwallopen  Creek,  88,  178 

Little  Wills  Creek,  182 

Little  Youghiogheny  River,  165 

Littlestown,  105 

Littleton,  198 

Liverpool,  95,  158 

Loag,  162 

Lock  Haven,  4,  22,  63,  67,  76,  92,  147, 
152,  155,  156,  180 
Lock  Haven  Reservoir,  63,  91 
Lock  Mountain,  55 
Locust  Mountain,  160 
Locust  Point,  50 
Locust  Ridge,  124 
Log  Run  Creek,  153 
Logan,  James,  102 
Logan,  John,  91,  92 
Logan  Run,  31 
Logan’s  Ferry,  119,  151 
Logan’s  Ferry  Road,  111,  151,  152 
Logan’s  Gap,  91,  92 
Logan’s  Path,  4,  78,  91-2,  126,  191 
Logan’s  Spring,  78,  91,  92 
Logan’s  Town,  62 
Loganton,  91 

Logstown,  62,  93,  145,  170,  200,  201, 
203,  205,  206 
Logstown  Path,  93-4 
Long  Hill,  161 
Long  Run,  112 
Longeuil,  Baron  de,  136 
Lopez  Creek,  188 
Lopez  Pond  Branch,  188 
Lorberry  Creek,  162 
Lost  Creek  Ridge,  168 
Loudon,  198 
Love’s  Gap,  116 

Lower  Mohawk  Castle  (N.  Y.)  , 44 
Lower  Road,  124 
Lower  Sandusky,  Ohio,  33 
Loyalhanna,  28,  94,  145 
Loyalhanna  Creek,  28,  94,  145 
Loyalhanna-Goschgoschink  Path,  94 
Loyalhanna  Path,  94 
Loyalsock  Creek,  5,  66,  95,  152,  153, 
161,  190 

Loyalsock  Path,  95 
Lucas,  William,  85 
Lucinda,  174 
Luke,  184 
Luthersburg,  61 

Lycoming  Creek,  5,  67,  75,  95,  152, 
153,  154 

Lycoming  Path,  95 
Lycoming  Trail,  75 
Lycoming  Valley,  5,  159 

McAllisterville,  168 
McCallister’s  Gap,  50 


MacCarthy  Run,  53 
McConnellsburg,  58 
McConnellstown,  181 
McDowell’s  Mill,  58 
McElhaney  Spring,  28,  53 
McElhatten,  91 
McElhatten  Creek,  63 
McEwenville,  191 
McGee  Gap,  182 
McKeansburg,  160 
McKee's  Half  Falls,  77,  158 
McKee’s  Path,  77,  95-6 
McKee’s  Upper  Trading  Post,  77,  95, 
122 

McKeesport,  112 
Mackey  Hill,  209,  210 
Mack’s  Corners,  39 
Macungie,  121 

Macungie  Jasper  Quarries,  128 
Madison,  N.  J.,  102 
Madley,  182 
Mahanoy  City,  160 
Mahanoy  Creek,  96,  123,  162 
Mahanoy  Mountain,  4,  162 
Mahanoy  Path,  42,  77,  96 
Mahantango  Creek,  158,  162,  169 
Mahantango  Mountain,  4,  162 
Mahican  Indians,  5,  72,  189 
Mahoning,  28,  33 

Mahoning  Creek,  27,  28,  68,  69,  72, 
106 

Mahoning  Path,  10,  13,  33,  96-7 
Mahoning  River  (Ohio)  , 96 
Mahoning  Valley,  96 
Maiden  Creek,  98,  99 
Malvern,  Ohio,  62 
Manada  Gap,  20,  36 
Manatawna,  127 
Manatawny,  127 
Manatawny  Creek,  127 
Manns  Choice,  59,  60,  182,  184 
Mansfield,  159 
Maple  Shade,  56 
Marietta,  122 
Marion  Center,  56 
Markes,  58 
Marklesburg,  181 
Marsh  Creek,  67,  68,  130 
Marsh  Hill,  152 
Martins  Creek,  103,  164 
Martinsburg,  Pa.,  106 
Martinsburg,  W.  Va.,  168 
Maryland,  24,  72,  105,  109,  130,  166, 
179 

Masthope,  97 
Masthope  Path,  97 
Matamoras,  44 

Mauch  Chunk  Creek,  88,  113 
Mauch  Chunk  Ridge,  88,  113 
Maxatawny,  98,  99 
Maxatawny  Path,  98-9 
Mays  Mills,  171 
Maysville,  Ky.,  100 
Mayville,  N.  Y„  136 
Mead,  General  David,  37,  99 
Mead,  John,  99 
Mead’s  Path,  68,  99 
Meadville,  37,  43.  81,  99,  172,  201.  207, 
209 

Mechanicsburg,  50 
Melish,  John,  34,  43,  70 
Meniolagomeka,  188 
Meniolagomeka  Path,  99 
Mercer,  201 
Mercer,  John,  165 


Mercersburg,  58,  168,  179 
Merion  Meeting-house,  19 
Merionville,  19 
Merwinsburg,  188 
Metuchen,  N.  J.,  102 
Miami  Indians,  86 
Miami  River  (Ohio)  , 62 
Middle  Creek,  96,  158,  167 
Middle  Indian  Trail,  59 
Middle  Run,  56 
Middleburg,  96 
Middleport,  160 
Middlesex,  50,  115 
Middletown,  116,  122 
Mifflinville,  114,  191 
Milesburg,  22,  23,  78,  126,  156 
Milford,  101,  103 
Mill  Creek,  140,  153,  173 
Mill  Hall,  92 
Millers  Run,  153 
Millersburg,  122 
Millersville,  24 
Millersville  Pike,  24 
Millheim,  126 

Millstone  Creek,  10,  27,  122,  161 

Millstone  Run  Valley,  122 

Milton,  Ohio,  96 

Milton,  Pa.,  66 

Mine  Run,  66 

Miners  Run,  184,  185 

Minerva,  Ohio,  62 

Mingo  Indians,  200 

Mingo  Path,  32,  100 

Mingo  Run,  66.  160 

Mingo  Town,  2,  200,  201 

Mingoville,  92 

Minisink  Island,  44,  101,  102,  103,  124, 
132,  191 

Minisink  Path,  101-2,  191 
Minquas  Indians,  64 
Minsi  Path,  44,  102-4,  124,  132 
Mississippi  Valley,  27 
Mitchells  Mills,  52,  137 
Mocanaqua,  72 
Mohawk  Indians,  44 
Mohawk  Run,  172 
Molatton,  127 
Monmouth,  N.  J.,  45 
Monocacy  Path,  24,  36,  105 
Monocacy  Valley,  36 
Monongahela  City,  59,  60 
Monongahela  River,  6,  28,  59,  100,  112, 
148,  149,  184,  185,  200 
Monroe,  5 
Monroeton,  152 
Montandon,  66 
Monterey,  57 
Montgomery,  66 
Montgomery  Square,  102 
Montgomeryville,  102 
Montour  Falls,  N.  Y.,  76 
Montour  Ridge,  34 
Montour’s  Island,  66 
Montoursville,  5,  66,  95 
Mooredale,  178 
Moorestown,  188 
Moorhead,  Fergus,  53 
Moorhead’s  Cabin,  53 
Moorhead’s  Fort,  53 
Moosic  Mountain,  101 
Moravia,  69 
Moravians,  187 
Mordansville,  191 
Morford,  184,  185 

Morgantown,  Pa.,  19,  24,  107,  108,  162 
Morgantown,  W.  Va.,  27,  28 


222 


Morgantown  Road,  57 
Morrison  Cove,  106 
Morrison  Cove  Path,  106 
Morristown,  N.  J.,  102 
Mortimer,  Benjamin,  9 
Mortonville,  64 
Moselem  Spring,  99 
Moshannon,  68 

Moshannon  Creek,  23,  68,  186 
Mosquito  Creek,  42 
Moundsville,  W.  Va.,  184 
Mount  Airy,  102 
Mount  Braddock,  148 
Mount  Cobb,  101 
Mount  Joy,  118 
Mount  Patrick,  158 
Mount  Penn.  127 

Mount  Pleasant,  59,  103,  105,  111,  150 

Mount  Rock,  50,  142,  177,  178 

Mount  Savage,  Md.,  165 

Mount  Union,  51,  77 

Mounts  Creek,  28,  111 

Mountz’s  Creek,  166 

Mouse  Creek,  162 

Mud  Pike,  166 

Muddy  Creek,  19,  83.  93,  171,  200,  203, 
206,  207,  208,  209,  210 
Muddy  Run,  191 
Muhlenberg  Station,  99 
Mulhaney,  188 
Mumma  Ford,  Md.,  105 
Muncy,  4,  5,  66,  96,  106,  114,  160,  188, 
191 

Muncy  Creek,  5,  95,  188,  189,  190 
Muncy  Hill,  66 

Muncy-Mahoning  Path,  34,  106 
Muncy  Valley,  189 

Munsee  Delaware  Indians,  22,  23,  66, 
72,  102,  103.  160 
Murley’s  Gap,  Md.,  181 
Murray  Run,  154 
Murrysville,  6,  145,  199 
Murthering  Town,  201,  205,  206,  210 
Muskingum  River  (Ohio,  early)  , 62 
Muskingum  River  (Ohio,  present)  , 100 
Muskingum  Trail  (Ohio)  , 145 

Nanticoke.  72,  107,  108,  178,  191 
Nanticoke  Indians,  5,  66,  72,  107,  108 
Nanticoke  Path,  107-9,  123 
Nashville,  105 
National  Pike,  100 
Navesink  River  (N.  J.) , 102 
Nazareth,  14,  103,  188 
Negro  Mountain,  49,  109,  165,  166 
Nemacolin’s  Creek,  110 
Nemacolin’s  Path,  1,  13,  32,  42,  45,  59, 
63,  100,  109-13,  149 
Neolegan’s  Town,  72 
Nescopeck,  72,  108,  113,  114,  128,  160, 
191 

Nescopeck  Creek,  88,  113 
Nescopeck  Mountain,  88,  107,  113 
Nescopeck  Path,  88,  96.  113-15,  132, 
178,  191 

Neshannock  Creek,  81 
Nesquehoning,  113 
Nesquehoning  Creek,  88,  113 
Nettle  Hill,  184 
Neversink  River,  103 
Newallika’s  Town,  72 
New  Berlin,  126 
New  Buena  Vista,  60 
New  Castle,  Del.,  116,  120 
New  Castle,  Pa.,  2,  33.  53,  70,  81,  82, 
83,  96,  201 


New  Castle  Path,  116 
New  Geneva,  184 
New  Grenada,  143 
New  Hamburg,  81 
New  Holland,  24 
New  Holland  Pike,  57 
New  Hope,  90 

New  Jersey,  45,  90,  99,  102,  104,  132 

New  Kensington,  26,  151 

New  Kingston,  50 

New  Kuskusky,  82 

New  Lancaster,  178 

New  Maxatawny  Road,  99 

New  Milford,  164 

New  Path,  20,  50,  51,  115-16,  146 

New  Path  to  Wyoming,  187,  191 

New  Texas,  151 

Newark,  N.  J,,  90 

Newark  Bay,  N.  J.,  45 

Newberry,  152 

Newberrytown,  38,  118 

Newburg,  187 

Newmanstown,  20 

Newport,  Del.,  36 

Newton,  N.  J.,  102 

Newville,  50 

Niagara,  N.  Y.,  72 

Niagara  Gorge  (N.  Y.)  , 168 

Nichols,  192 

Nichols  Gap,  57 

Nicholson,  164 

Niles,  Ohio,  33 

Nippenose,  116 

Nippenose  Creek,  116 

Nippenose  Old  Town,  116 

Nippenose  Paths,  116 

Nippenose  Valley,  63,  116 

Nittany  Mountain,  91,  92 

Nordmont,  189 

Norristown,  127 

North  Bend,  155 

North  Carolina,  72,  105,  168 

North  East,  85,  107 

North  Fork  Creek,  165,  174 

North  Mahanoy  Mountain,  160 

North  Mountain,  57,  58,  142 

North  Water  Gap,  124 

North  White  Deer  Ridge,  63,  116 

Northampton,  113 

Northrup  Hollow,  122,  161 

Northumberland,  25,  66,  72,  191 

Nutimus'  Town.  72 

Oak  Hill,  123,  171,  207 
Oak  Ridge,  56,  141 
Oakchahanak  Crossing,  53 
Oakryn,  123 
Oaks,  128 
Oak  ton,  109 
Octaroro  Creek,  123 
Odell,  100 
Ogdon ia  Creek,  161 
Ohio,  184,  185,  189 
Ohio  Company,  165 
Ohio  Path,  49,  116-7 
Ohio  River,  11,  32,  59,  62,  70,  93,  100, 
117,  136,  145,  184,  205 
Oil  City,  117 
Oil  Creek.  117,  175 
Oil  Creek  Path,  117 
Okehocking  Path,  117-8 
Old  Bethlehem  Pike,  102 
Old  Catawissey  Path,  160 
Old  Forge.  83 
Old  Fort,  78 
Old  Fort  Palmer,  28 


Old  French  Road,  173 

Old  Kuskusky,  82 

Old  Mine  Road,  103 

Old  Peter’s  Road,  2,  38,  57,  118-9 

Old  Sheshequin  Flats,  72 

Old  Swedes  Path,  120 

Old  Town  Bottom,  151 

Old  War  Path,  89 

Old  Wyoming,  43 

Old  York  Road,  90-1,  102,  133 

Oldtown,  Md.,  55,  180 

Oldtown  Creek,  55 

Oldtown  Run,  51 

Olean,  N.  Y.,  27,  46,  47,  76,  121 

Olean-Kittanning  Path,  61 

Oley,  98,  116,  121 

Oley  Path,  121 

Onaquaga  Path,  83 

Onondaga,  5 

Ontelaunee,  99 

Opessa’s  Town  (Md.)  , 181 

Oquaga  (N.  Y.)  , 83 

Oquaga  Path,  83 

Orbisonia.  51,  55,  159 

Orrstown,  142 

Oscalui,  152 

Oskohary,  31 

Ossernenon  (N.  Y.)  , 44 

Oswayo  Creek,  46,  47,  121 

Oswayo  Path.  121 

Otstonwakin,  5,  66 

Ottawa,  191 

Outcrop,  28 

Owego,  N.  Y.,  169,  192 

Owen’s  Stamping  Ground,  13,  52 

Oxford,  107 

Pail  Factory,  149,  152,  153 

Painted  Line,  10,  122,  161 

Painted  Post,  N.  Y.,  10,  46,  159 

Painter  Den  Creek,  188 

Palatines,  44 

Palmerton,  28 

Palmyra.  Ohio,  96 

Palo  Alto,  74 

Pancake,  100 

Panther  Run,  174 

Paoli,  19,  117 

Parkesburg,  64,  107 

Parkinson’s  Ferry,  59,  60 

Parnassus,  151 

Parnell’s  Knob,  142 

Parry  ville,  113 

Parsippany,  N.  J.,  102 

Parson's  Ferry,  133 

Passigachkunk  (N.  Y.) , 46,  47 

Patchel  Run,  171 

Path,  168 

Path  Valley,  50,  142,  168 

Pawling  Ford,  117 

Paxinosa’s  Town,  72 

Paxtang,  4,  19,  20,  38,  49.  50,  115.  118. 

119,  127.  142,  158.  177 
Paxtang  Path,  72,  77,  122-3.  180 
Paxtang  Road,  119 
Peach  Bottom,  116,  123 
Peach  Bottom  Path,  123 
Pechoquealin  (g)  , 103,  132.  191 
Pechoquealin  Path.  3,  13.  124-5,  157. 

191 

Peholand’s  Path,  125 
Peholand's  Town,  28,  125 
Penn,  William,  19 
Penn  Hall.  126 
Penn  Run,  52,  53 
Pennline,  43 


223 


Penns  Creek,  92,  126,  158,  169 
Penns  Creek  Path,  25,  42,  72,  91,  126, 
180,  182 

Pennsylvania  Road,  199 
Penobscot  Mountain,  88,  107,  178 
Pequea,  116 
Perkasie,  133 

Perkiomen  Creek,  127,  128,  133 
Perkiomen-Lehigh  Path,  117,  128 
Perkiomen  Path,  1 27-8 
Perkiomen  Valley,  133 
Perrysville,  82 
Peters  Creek,  123,  189 
Peters  Mountain,  122 
Pettquotting,  10 

Philadelphia,  13.  19,  36,  44,  45,  64,  72, 
90.  98,  99,  102,  120,  122,  124,  127, 
162 

Philipsburg,  99,  147,  186 
Philipsburg-Tyrone  Road,  186 
Phoenixville,  24,  57 
Picture  Rocks,  189 
Pigeon  Paths,  129 
Pine  Barrens,  9,  47 
Pine  Creek,  4,  67,  130,  162,  165,  171 
Pine  Creek  Path,  13,  22,  130-2 
Pine  Grove,  123,  162 
Pine  Grove  Mills,  126,  156 
Pine  Hill,  23 
Pines,  93,  171,  205 
Piney,  141,  176 
Pipers  Run,  181 
Pisgah  Mountains,  88,  113 
Pittsburgh,  4,  6,  10,  11,  19,  32,  38,  49, 
62,  82,  93,  98,  109.  116,  142,  170, 
198,  199,  200,  205 
Pittsfield,  25,  41 
Pittston,  72,  83,  101,  108,  169 
Plainfield,  N.  J„  90 
Plank  Road,  74 
Plattsville,  52,  195 
Playwicky,  14 
Pleasant  Gap,  78 
Pleasant  Grove,  28 
Pleasant  Hill,  195 
Pleasant  Valley,  103 
Plumb  Creek,  53 
Plymouth,  72,  191 
Plymouth  Creek,  127 
Pochapuchkug,  113 
Pocono  Creek,  124 
Pocono  Lake,  124 
Pocono  Mountains,  124,  188 
Pocono  Pines,  124,  191 
Pocono  Spring,  124 
Pohopoco  Creek,  113,  132,  188 
Pohopoco  Mountain,  188 
Pohopoco  Path,  132 
Point  Pleasant,  133,  134 
Point  Pleasant  Path,  133-4 
Polecat  Hollow,  Md.,  179 
Pond  Creek,  88 

Port  Allegany,  76,  135.  136,  155 
Port  Jervis,  44,  103 
Port  Matilda,  23 
Port  Royal,  168,  180 
Port  Treverton,  158 
Portage  Creek,  135 
Portage  Paths,  47,  76,  135-41 
Portersville,  53,  93,  170,  200,  206 
Portersville  Station,  83,  200,  203,  206 
Portville,  N.  Y„  121 
Post,  Christian  Frederick,  47,  68,  81, 
88,  94,  116,  174 

Potomac  River,  105,  126,  165,  168.  177, 
180,  181,  182,  185 


Potomac  Road,  177 

Potters  Mills,  78,  92 

Pottsgrove,  127 

Pottstown,  127 

Powell,  5,  149,  152,  161 

Powell  Mountain  (Va.) , 105 

Pownall,  Thomas,  60 

Presque  Isle,  37,  85,  .86,  170 

Presque  Isle  Bay,  140,  170,  173 

Presque  Isle  Portage,  137,  140 

Prospect,  53,  171 

Pucketa  Creek,  152 

Puckety  Creek  Path,  151 

Puddle  Duck  Creek,  123 

Pulaski,  Va.,  105 

Punxsutawney,  69,  70,  141 

Punxsutawney-Venango  Path,  141-2 

Putnam,  General  Rufus,  59 

Pymatuning  Indian  Town,  33,  81,  96 

Quakake  Creek,  88,  89 

Quaker  Ridge,  39 

Queen  Esther's  Flats,  5 

Queen  Esther’s  Town,  72.  154 

Quemahoning  Creek,  144,  145,  198 

Quenashawakee,  67 

Quenshukeny  Run,  67 

Quincy,  58 

Quittapahilla,  20 

Quittapahilla  Creek,  20 

Radford,  Va.,  105 
Ralston,  152 
Ramsey  Run,  53 
Raritan  River  (N.  J.) , 102 
Rathbone,  N.  Y.,  46 
Rattlesnake  Creek,  97 
Ravenna,  Ohio,  96 
Ravers  Run,  181 
Ray,  John,  144 
Raymond  Kill,  103 
Rays  Cove,  143 
Rays  Hill,  143 

Raystown,  35,  42,  60,  74,  147,  182,  184, 
198 

Raystown-Chinklacamoose  Path,  147 
Raystown-Frankstown  Path,  106 
Raystown  Path,  1,  3,  4,  13,  20,  26,  28, 
49,  50,  53,  57,  58,  59,  77,  94,  117, 
142-7,  159,  168,  182,  184,  198,  199 
Reading,  98,  99,  107,  121,  127,  148,  162 
Reaville,  N.  J.,  90 
Red  Bridge,  139,  177 
Red  Hole,  148 
Red  Hole  Path,  148 
Redbank  Creek,  27,  28,  56,  141,  174,  176 
Redmond,  83 
Redoubt  Camp,  198 
Redstone,  42,  100 
Redstone  Creek,  148 
Redstone  Old  Fort,  148 
Redstone  Path,  148-9 
Rehrersburg,  162 
Reidsburg,  56 
Reinholds,  19,  162 
Renovo,  155 
Reynoldsdale,  35-6 
Reynoldsville,  35 
Rhodes,  23 
Riceville,  43 
Richfield,  169 

Richmond  Furnace,  142,  168 
Richvale,  50,  115 
Ridge  Pike,  127 
Ridge  Road,  127 


Ridley  Creek,  117 
Rimersburg,  176 
Ringgold,  141 
Ringoes,  N.  J.,  90,  133 
Rising  Mountain,  50 
Rising  Sun,  102 
Ritchie,  155 
Roaring  Branch,  152 
Roaring  Creek,  31 
Roaring  Run,  24 

Roberts,  Bishop  Robert  R.,  81,  201 

Robesonia,  127 

Robin  Hood's  Ford,  19 

Rochester,  2,  62,  200 

Rock  Branch  School,  97 

Rockaway  River  (N.  J.) , 102 

Rockhill,  64 

Rocklick,  184 

Rockspring,  126 

Rockville,  28 

Rome,  192 

Romola,  67 

Rondout  Creek,  103 

Rose  Lake,  121 

Rose  Lake  Run,  121 

Rosecrans,  91 

Roseville,  174 

Rossmoyne,  56 

Round  Holes,  79 

Rowe  Run,  139 

Roxboro,  127 

Roxbury,  50 

Roxbury  Gap.  50,  115 

Ruff  Creek,  32 

Rural  Valley,  70 

Rushtown,  31 

Russellville,  107 

Rutherford,  20 


Sacramento,  162 
Saegerstown,  37 
St.  Joseph’s  Path,  149-53 
St.  Lawrence  River,  136 
St.  Thomas,  142 
Salamanca,  N.  Y.,  33,  47 
Salem  Church,  38,  118 
Salisbury.  118,  165 
Salt  Lick,  111,  150 
Salt  Lick  Creek,  164 
Salt  Lick  Path,  13,  150 
Salt  Spring  (Ohio)  , 33,  96 
Salt  Spring,  Pa.,  10,  195 
Salt  Springs  (Pa.)  , 164 
Salt  Wells,  52 
Saltillo,  55 
Saltsburg,  94,  145 
Sanatoga,  127 
Sanckhican.  45 
Sand  Spring,  101 
Sandhill,  132 

Sandusky,  Ohio,  37,  62,  85 
Sandusky  Path,  13 
Sandusky  River  (Ohio)  , 96 
Sandy  Creek,  81,  82,  171,  201 
Sandy  Lick  Creek,  174 
Sandy  Ridge,  186 
Sandy  Valley,  174 
Sarah,  156 
Sawtown.  174 
Saylorsburg,  103,  157,  188 
Sayre,  46 
Scandia,  39 
Scenery  Hill.  100 
Schoharie,  N.  Y.,  44,  83 
Schoneck,  103 


224 


Schuylkill  River,  57.  64,  98,  117,  120, 
127,  128,  148 
Schuylkill  Valley,  24 
Schwenksville,  128,  132 
Sciota,  157 

Scioto  River  (Ohio)  , 62.  100 
Scotch  Plains,  N.  J.,  90 
Scotland,  Pa..  177 
Scranton,  83,  101,  191 
Scull,  Nicholas,  11,  20,  60,  67,  123 
Scull,  William,  11,  50,  51,  55,  156 
Sebring,  159 

Secaughcung  (N.  Y.) , 46 

Second  Mountain,  4,  10,  122,  160,  162 

Seely  Creek,  75 

Selinsgrove,  95,  158,  169,  180 

Sellersville,  133 

Seneca.  174 

Seneca  Indians,  10,  40,  43,  46,  47,  121, 
129,  157,  168 
Seneca  Lake  (N.  Y.) , 75 
Sergeantsville,  N.  J.,  133,  134 
Seven  Mountains,  4,  78,  92 
Seven  Pines,  168 
Seven  Stars,  24 
Sewickley,  62,  151,  152,  166 
Sewickley  Creek,  111,  151 
Sewickley  Old  Town  Path,  26,  111.  151- 
2,  199 

Shade  Creek,  3 

Shade  Gap,  3,  50,  55,  115 

Shade  Mountain,  50,  115 

Shades  Creek,  124 

Shades  of  Death,  3,  124 

Shaffer’s  Spring.  See  Shaver’s  Spring 

Shamburg,  56 

Shamokin,  4,  5,  13.  20,  31 , 63,  66,  70,  72, 
74,  99,  108,  114,  122,  123,  126  152, 
153,  158,  160,  162,  169,  180,  191 
Shamokin  Creek,  123 
Shamokin  Hill,  162 
Shamokin  Island,  66,  74 
Shamokin  Mountain,  123 
Shamokin  Path,  162 
Shannopin’s  Town,  145,  146,  170,  198, 
199 

Sharp  Mountain,  160 
Sharpless.  Joshua,  4,  40 
Shaver  Creek,  156 
Shaver’s  Spring,  28,  53 
Shawanese  Cabins,  52,  198 
Shawnee  Bottom,  52,  137 
Shawnee  Cabins,  137,  144 
Shawnee  Indians,  5,  25,  62,  66,  70,  72, 
78,  79,  151,  160 

Shawnee  on  Delaware.  103,  124,  132, 
191 

Shaws,  207 
Shazen,  52,  195 

Shebosch  (John  Joseph  Bull)  , 154 
Sheffield,  129 
Shehawken  (N.  Y.)  , 44 
Shehawken  Lake,  83,  139 
Shelleytown,  55 
Shelocta,  53 

Shenandoah  Valley  (Va.)  . 105,  168 

Shenango  Branch,  33 
Shenango  Indian  Town,  33,  81,  201 
Shenango  River,  81 
Shenks  Ferry,  116 
Sherman  Creek,  6,  115 
Sherwood  Station,  174 
Sheshequin,  5,  72,  149,  152,  153,  192 
Sheshequin  Path,  5.  22,  42.  75,  95,  149, 
152-3,  159 

Shickellamy,  91,  92,  153 


Shickellamy's  Face,  25 
Shickellamy’s  Town,  63 
Shickshinny,  191 
Shickshinny  Creek,  72 
Shickshinny  Mountain,  72 
Shields’  Dam,  23 
Shinglehouse,  47,  121 
Shingletown,  126 
Shintown,  155 

Shippen,  Captain  Joseph,  158 
Shippen,  135,  136 

Shippensburg,  117.  142,  143,  177,  178 
Shirleysburg,  50,  51,  53,  115,  146,  159 
Shoemaker  Park,  63,  91 
Short  Mountain,  182 
Shrewsbury,  N.  J.,  45 
Shrewsbury  River  (N.  J.)  , 102 
Shriner  Mountain.  91 
Shrivel  Ridge,  184 
Shunpike  Road,  173 
Shy  Beaver,  181 
Sideling  Hill,  143.  146,  198 
Sideling  Hill  Creek,  159 
Sideling  Hill  Gap,  143 
Sigel,  27,  28 
Sinking  Spring,  127 
Sinnemahoning  Creek,  135,  136,  155 
Sinnemahoning  Path,  13,  22,  33,  76, 
155-6 

Siousca,  118 
Six  Mile  Run,  23 
Sixmile  Hollow,  159 
Skinner’s  Mill  Run,  166 
Slacks  Run,  154 
Sleeping  Place,  52 
Slippery  Rock,  203,  205 
Slippery  Rock  Creek,  8,  82,  83,  93,  171, 
206 

Slippery  Rock  Ford,  171 
Smicksburg,  69,  70 
Smith  Corners,  39 
Smith  Gap,  132,  188 
Smithfield,  184 
Snow  Shoe,  23,  68 
Snow  Shoe  Intersection,  23 
Snyder,  Charles  Fisher,  34,  42 
Snydersville,  103,  132,  157 
Social  Island,  58 
Solomon  Creek,  124 
Solomon’s  Gap.  124 
Somerset,  59,  60,  74,  167 
Somerville,  N.  J.,  90,  99 
Sonestown,  189 
South  Creek,  75 

South  Mountain,  19,  20,  119,  127,  159, 
162 

Spangenberg,  Bishop  August  Gottlieb, 
7,  149,  154 
Spring  Creek,  42,  43 
Spring  Grove.  105 
Spring  Mills,  92,  126 
Spring  Mountain,  113 
Spring  Plains,  105 
Spring  Run,  50,  115,  168 
Springfield,  N.  J.,  102 
Springhouse,  102 
Springtown,  168 
Springville,  171,  205 
Spruce  Creek,  126 
Stahlstown,  28 
Stamford,  N.  Y.,  44 
Standing  Rock  (Ohio)  , 96 
Standing  Stone,  51,  55,  156,  181 
Standing  Stone  Creek,  156 
Standing  Stone-Ft.  Littleton  Path,  156- 
7 


Standing  Stone  Path,  156 
Stanton,  27 
Starucca,  139 
Starrucca  Creek,  83 
State  College,  156 
Staunton,  Va.,  105.  168 
Steam  Valley  Branch,  159 
Steelton,  20,  122 
Stenton,  102 
Sterrett’s  Gap,  115,  158 
Stevens,  Frank,  50,  55 
Stewart,  Lazarus,  89 
Stewart’s  Crossing,  28,  111 
Stewartstown,  W.  Va.,  28 
Stockertown,  157 
Stockport,  139 
Stockport  Creek,  139 
Stoddartsville,  43,  188,  191 
Stone  Cabin  Gap,  Md.,  179 
Stonersville,  127 

Stony  Creek,  35,  42,  59,  60,  144,  198 
Stony  Gap  (Md.)  , 179 
Stoystown,  145 
Strabane,  100 
Strasburg,  Pa.,  36.  64 
Strasburg,  Va.,  105 
Strattonville,  174 
Strawbridge,  189 
Strawbridge  Road,  34 
Strongs  Corners,  173 
Stroudsburg,  103.  124,  132 
Struble,  156 
Stump  Creek,  68,  69 
Sugar  Creek.  5.  75,  149,  152,  153,  172, 
207 

Sugar  Loaf  Mountain,  88 
Sugar  Mountain,  107 
Sugar  Run  Creek,  95,  188 

Sugar  Run  Ferry,  189 

Sugar  Valley  Mountain,  91 
Sullivan,  General  John,  46,  88,  103,  124, 
132.  154,  157 

Sullivan  (s)  Road,  124,  157.  188,  191 
Sunbury,  4.  5,  20,  25,  31,  63,  66,  72,  99, 
108,  114,  122,  123,  126,  152,  158. 

160,  162,  168,  169,  180 
Susquehanna  Path,  105,  116,  158 
Susquehanna  River,  2,  5,  10,  11,  13, 
19,  22,  24,  25,  31,  38,  42,  43.  49.  52, 

56,  63,  64,  66,  67,  69,  72,  77,  83.  91, 

95,  96,  102,  106.  107,  108,  113,  114, 
116,  118,  122,  123,  126,  130,  137, 

138,  139,  141,  149,  152,  155,  158, 

164,  169,  177,  188,  191,  192,  195 

Susquehannock  Castle,  105 
Susquehannock  Indians,  5,  47,  64,  122, 
138 

Swales,  168 
Swamp  Brook,  97 
Swatara  Creek,  20,  148,  162 
Swedes  Mill  Creek,  120 
Sweet  Root  Creek,  181 
Swengel,  126 

Tamaqua,  107 
Tanacharison,  200,  207 
Taneytown,  Md.,  105 
Tannersville,  124 
Tarentum,  49,  79,  81,  145 
Tatamy,  103 
Tatamy’s  Gap,  103 
Tatesville,  181 
Taylor,  83 
Tayloria,  123 
Teedyuscung,  47,  89 
Ten  Mile  Run,  124 


225 


Tenmile  Bottom,  174 
Tennessee,  27,  177,  184,  185 
Tennessee  Path,  27 
Terrapin  Creek,  88 
Terrapin  Pond  Creek,  88 
Thomas  Crossroads,  145 
Thompson  Run,  145 
Thompsontown,  77,  96,  169 
Thorndale,  118 
Three  Redoubts,  145,  199 
Three  Springs,  55,  146,  159,  182 
Three  Springs  Creek,  146.  159 
Three  Springs  Path,  159 
Three  Springs  Valley,  182 
Tidioute,  175 
Timmons  Mountain,  50 
Tingoocque,  32 

Tioga,  5,  10,  46,  47,  72,  83,  126.  152. 

157,  159,  160,  169,  192 
Tioga  Path,  46,  159-60 
Tioga  Portage,  141 
Tioga  River,  46,  159 
Tionesta  Creek,  61 
Tishimingo,  126 
Tobyhanna  Creek,  124 
Tohashwuchtonionty,  200 
Tohogus  Cabins,  13,  53 
Tory  Path,  160 
Tory  Road,  134 
Totts  Gap,  103 

Towanda,  4,  5,  72,  152,  160,  161,  192 
Towanda  Creek,  5,  149,  152 
Towanda  Path,  5,  10,  13,  122,  160-1 
Town  Run,  56,  141,  176 
Trade  City,  27 
Trading  Gap,  50 
Trappe,  127 
Trenton,  N.  J.,  45 
Trexlertown,  99 
Trindle  Spring,  50 
Trough  Spring  Branch,  115 
Trout  Run,  152,  156,  159 
Troy,  75 
Truby  Run,  70 
Tschachkat,  69 
Tub  Mill  Run,  143 
Tubmill  Reservoir,  28 
Tuckerton,  99 
Tullytown,  45 
Tulpehocken,  13,  20,  121 
Tulpehocken  Creek,  20,  162 
Tulpehocken  Path,  4,  10,  13,  20,  72, 
108,  123,  148,  162-3 
Tumbling  Run,  160 
Tunkhannock,  5,  72.  164,  169 
Tunkhannock  Creek,  164 
Tunkhannock  Path,  164 
Turkeyfoot,  165 

Turkeyfoot  Path,  49,  165-8,  182 
Turkeyfoot  Road,  12 
Turtle  Creek,  6.  111.  145,  146,  151,  198, 
200 

Turtle  Creek  (town)  , 146 
Tuscarawas,  Ohio,  62,  63 
Tuscarawas  Path  (Ohio),  13,  62 
Tuscarawas  River  (Ohio),  62,  189 
Tuscarora  Creek,  50,  115,  168 
Tuscarora  Indian  Town,  83.  139 
Tuscarora  Indians,  66.  83 
Tuscarora  Mountain,  50,  58,  115,  142, 
168 

Tuscarora  Path.  50,  72.  115,  168-70, 
179,  180 

Tussey  Mountain,  55,  156 
Tweedale,  123 

Two  Lick  Creek,  52,  125.  137 


Two  Licks,  53,  196 

Two  Licks  Path,  197 

Two  Top  Mountain  (Md.) , 179 

Twomile  Run,  56 

Tylersburg,  61 

Tyrone,  22,  51,  147 


Lister,  5,  72,  149,  152,  153 
Ulysses,  130 
LTnion  City,  25 
Union  Corner,  31 
Uniontown,  27,  28,  148 
LTniversal,  6,  199 
Upper  Strasburg,  142 

Valley  Forge,  117 
Valley  Fork  Run,  68 
Valley  Grove,  W.  Va.,  100 
Valley  View,  162 
Van,  56,  142 
Vance  Mills,  149 
Vandergrift.  53.  94 

Venango,  12,  13,  25,  33,  41,  52,  56,  68, 
69,  83,  93,  96,  99,  140,  170,  171, 
172,  174,  175,  176,  200.  201,  206, 
207,  210 

Venango-Chinklacamoose  Path,  13,  61, 
141,  174-5 

Venango-Conewango  Path,  175,  176 
Venango-Frankstown  Path,  94,  141 
Venango-Kittanning  Path,  176-7 
Venango  Path,  3,  13,  37,  82,  83.  93,  99, 
170-3,  200,  203,  205 
Venango  Road,  33 
Vera  Cruz,  128 
Verdilla,  158 
Vienna.  100 
Vincennes,  Ind.,  9 
Virginia,  22,  24,  72,  105 
Virginia  Path  (Road)  , 42,  177,  178, 
' 180 

Virginville,  107 

Wagon  town,  118 
Wakefield,  123 
Wallace  Run,  23 
Wallacetown,  24 
Wallenpaupack  Creek,  101 
Wallenpaupack  Lake,  101 
Wallis  Run,  153,  154 
Walnut  Bottom,  178 
Walnut  Bottom  Path,  178 
Wappasening  Creek,  192 
Wapwallopen,  8,  72,  108,  113,  178,  191 
Wapwallopen  Creek,  88 
Wapwallopen  Path,  13,  178-9,  191 
Warden  Run,  172,  207 
Warm  Spring  (Va.)  , 179 
Warm  Spring  Path,  168,  179 
Warren,  3,  5,  33,  39,  41,  137,  175 
Warrior  Gap,  88,  107,  191 
Warrior  Ridge,  181 
Warrior  Run  (Md.)  , 182 
Warrior  Run,  Pa„  180,  191 
Warrior  Spring,  66 
Warriors  Branch,  10,  184-5 
Warriors  Mark,  22,  147,  186 
Warriors  Mark  Path,  23,  42,  147,  182, 
186 

Warriors  Path,  55,  74,  144,  147 
Warriors  Paths  to  Potomac,  180-4 
Warriors  Sleeping  Place,  22 
Warwick,  24 

Washington,  George,  12,  81,  83,  93, 
170,  172.  198,  200-12 


Washington,  George,  Path  to  LeBoeuf, 
200-12 

Washington,  D.  C.,  57 
Washington,  Pa.,  32,  59,  60,  100 
Washington  Boro,  24,  36,  64,  122 
Washington  Camp,  198 
Washington  Court  House  (Va.)  , 105 
Washington’  Breastworks,  145,  199 
Washington’s  Crossing,  93,  171,  205 
Washington’s  Spring,  93,  205 
Water  Street,  51,  126,  147,  186 
Waterfall,  143,  159 
Waterford,  25,  117,  140,  173,  200,  209 
Waterford  and  Susquehanna  Turnpike, 
172,  174 

Waterloo,  50,  115 
Waterville,  130 
Watsontown,  66 
Waverly,  N.  Y.,  46 
Waynesboro,  58 
Waynesburg,  32 
Weaversville,  113 
Weavertown,  127 
Wechquetank,  132,  187,  188,  191 
Wechquetank  Path,  13,  187-8,  191 
Weiders  Crossing,  113 
Weir  Mountain,  188 
Weiser,  Conrad,  3,  5,  7,  19,  49,  50,  52, 
66,  153,  154 
Weiser 's,  4,  127 
Weissport,  88,  113,  132,  191 
Wellersburg,  74 
Welsh  Mountains,  19 
Wernersville,  127 
Wesley,  171,  205,  206 
West  Alexander,  100 
West  End,  59 
West  Franklin,  152 
West  Hickory,  25,  47,  61,  94 
West  Lawn,  127 

West  Liberty,  83,  93,  170,  174,  200,  203, 
205,  206 

West  Mahantango,  95 
West  Middlesex,  81,  201 
West  Nanticoke.  191 
West  Newton,  26,  59,  151 
West  Point  School,  66 
West  Reading,  127 
West  Valley,  70 
West  View,  82 
West  Virginia,  27-8 
Westfield,  N.  J.,  90 
Westfield,  N.  Y„  85 
Westport,  155 
Wexford,  171 

Wheeling,  W.  Va.,  59,  100,  184 
Wheeling  Creek,  100 
Wheeling  Path.  184,  185 
Whetham,  155 
White  Deer  Hole  Valley,  63 
White  Deer  Ridge,  42 
White  Hall,  191 
White  Horse,  117,  118,  162 
White  Springs,  126 
White  Thunder,  200.  207 
Whitemarsh,  102 
Whites  Creek,  165 
Whitesburg,  53 
Whitestown,  171 
Wilderness  Road,  101,  105 
Wilkes-Barre,  13,  72,  88,  89,  99,  101, 
102,  107,  113,  124,  157,  169,  178, 
187,  188 

Wilkes-Barre  and  Easton  Road,  188 
Wilkes-Barre  Mountain,  88,  124 
Wilkinsburg,  146,  199 


226 


Williamson  Road,  159 
Williamsport,  Md.,  1 77 
Williamsport,  Pa.,  66,  152 
Willow  Grove,  90 
Willow  Hill,  168 
Will’s  Mountain  (Md.)  , 109 
Wills  Creek  (Md.)  , 22,  42.  60,  74,  126, 
144,  165,  166,  184,  185 
Wills  Creek,  Pa.,  182 
Wilunk  (W.  Va.)  , 184 
Winchester,  Va.,  105,  166.  168,  177 
Wind  Gap,  4,  43,  44,  88,  103,  157.  188, 
191 

Windfall,  5 

Winding  Ridge,  49,  109,  165,  166 
Windsor,  N.  Y.,  83 
Winfield,  25,  63 
Wingohocking  Creek,  90 
Wissahickon,  127 
Wolf  Creek,  66.  75,  160,  206 
Wolf  Pond  Run,  97 
Wolf  Run,  188 
Wolfsburg,  60,  144 
Womelsdorf,  4,  19,  108.  127.  162 
Wood,  William,  120 
Woodcock  Valley,  181 
Wooden  Bridge  Creek,  143 


Adams,  67 

Allegheny,  1.  9 , 44  , 45  , 71.  76,  96,  102. 

117,  Appendices  4,  5 
Armstrong,  26,  36,  44,  47,  120 
Beaver,  33,  56,  61,  Appendix  5 
Bedford,  13,  68,  96,  125 
Berks,  4,  29.  63,  70,  76,  81.  88,  89.  113 
Blair,  2,  26,  27,  28,  68,  97,  125 
Bradford,  24,  37,  39,  100,  103,  107,  112, 
129,  131 

Bucks,  23,  54,  66,  93 

Butler,  45,  47,  56,  117,  Appendix  5 

Cambria,  26,  Appendices  1,  2 

Cameron,  94-A,  104 

Carbon,  53,  70,  72,  92 

Centre,  2,  3,  36,  55,  87 

Chester,  4,  14,  29,  35,  70,  74,  84,  94-E 

Clarion,  32.  58,  118 

Clearfield,  32,  36,  97,  118 

Clinton,  2,  34,  36,  55,  104 

Columbia,  8,  37 

Crawford,  16,  21,  117,  Appendix  5 
Cumberland,  17,  26,  73,  96,  108,  121, 
122 

Dauphin,  1,  83 
Delaware,  35,  80 


Woodstock,  Va.,  105,  168 
Woodward,  126 
Woolrich,  130 
Worthville,  27 
Wray,  John,  144 
Wrightstown,  105 

Wvalusing,  3,  5,  67,  72,  95.  169,  187. 
188,  190 

Wyalusing  Path,  5,  95,  188-90 
Wvalusing  Rocks,  72 
Wyalutimunk,  72 
Wyandot  Indians,  33 
Wyethville,  Va.,  105 


oming. 

Pa. 

, 3, 

13,  72,  88, 

89, 

102, 

103,  108, 

113, 

114,  124, 

128, 

132. 

157,  1 

60, 

169, 

178,  180, 

187, 

188, 

191 

oming. 

Battle 

of.  72.  83, 

95, 

108, 

113,  124 

Wyoming  Mountain,  124 
Wyoming  Path  (s)  , 13,  43,  191 
Wyoming  Road,  101 
Wyoming  Valley,  5,  31 
Wyomissing,  127 
Wysaukin  Creek,  192 
Wysaukin  Path.  192 


Erie,  6,  16,  52,  94-H,  Appendix  5 
Fayette,  7.  64,  71,  99,  115,  126 
Forest,  7,  32 

Franklin,  26,  30,  116,  121,  124 
Fulton,  27,  96,  109 
Greene,  9,  126 

Huntingdon,  26,  27,  87,  105,  106,  109, 
116,  127 

Indiana,  7,  26,  28,  86,  94-D 
Jefferson,  7,  32,  36.  42,  58,  95,  118 
Juniata,  41,  73,  116 
Lackawanna,  37,  50,  65 
Lancaster,  4,  14,  17,  29,  35,  74,  79,  83, 
84,  94-A 

Lawrence,  45,  46,  47,  48,  49 
Lebanon,  1 

Lehigh,  63,  76,  81,  89 
Luzerne,  37,  53,  70,  72,  107,  123,  128 
Lycoming,  20,  34,  36,  69,  75,  91,  110, 
112,  129 

McKean,  7,  24,  82,  90 
Mercer,  11,  46 
Mifflin,  41,  43,  87 
Monroe,  66,  85,  92,  107 
Montgomery,  54,  66,  88,  89,  93 


Wysox,  169,  192 
Wvsox  Creek,  192 


Yarnell,  67 

Yeager  Mountains,  88,  191 

Yellow  Breeches  Creek.  38,  118,  178 

Yellow  Creek,  181 

Yellow  Spring,  186 

York,  36,  105 

York  Haven,  38,  118 

York  Road,  105 

Youghiogheny  River,  28.  59.  109,  111 
151,  165,  166 
Youngdale,  63 
Youngstown,  Ohio,  96 
Youngsville,  25,  41 


Zane,  Ebenezer,  100 
Z.ane,  Isaac,  88 
Z.ane’s  Trace,  100 
Zanesville,  Ohio,  100 
Zeisberger,  David,  9,  47,  48.  154,  192 
Zelienople,  200,  205,  206 
Zinzendorf,  Count  Nicholas  von,  7,  99, 
121 


number. 

Montour,  12,  37,  69 
Northampton,  53,  66,  72.  76,  81,  107, 
128 

Northumberland,  12,  36,  37,  113 
Perry,  73,  108 

Philadelphia,  1,  22,  23,  35,  54,  66,  80. 
93 

Pike,  22,  65,  66 
Potter,  24,  82,  91,  94-A,  94-B 
Schuylkill,  111,  113 
Snyder,  60,  87,  108,  116 
Somerset,  13,  25,  31,  96,  115 
Sullivan,  112,  129 
Susquehanna,  50,  94-G 
Tioga,  91,  110 
Union.  5,  20,  34,  75,  87 
Venango,  11,  19,  28,  49,  95.  117.  118, 
119,  120 

Warren,  6,  18,  19,  94-C,  119 
Washington,  9,  64 
Wayne,  51,  62,  94-G 
Westmoreland,  7,  31,  71,  96,  101,  102, 
Appendix  4 
Wyoming,  37,  114 
York,  17,  67 


List  of  Paths  by  County 

Paths  are  listed  by  path  number,  not  page 


227 


Js 


To  the  NATCHEZ  TRACE  \Z 


US  of  PENNSYLVANIA